Séamus Power will make his Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship debut alongside former winner Tyrrell Hatton, three-time DP World Tour winner Ryan Fox, 2018 Open Champion Francesco Molinari and rising star Sepp Straka at Yas Links from January 19-22, 2023.
The two-time PGA TOUR winner will make the trip to Yas Links after teeing it up alongside Hatton for Team Great Britain and Ireland at the Hero Cup, while Straka will make his tournament debut alongside 2018 Open Champion Molinari, the Continental Europe Captain for the new match play contest who will play in the event for the first time since 2013.
Kiwi Fox, who enjoyed a career-best year in which he won twice and finished the season as DP World Tour Number Two, will return to Yas Links Abu Dhabi on Yas Island - the home of sport and entertainment in the Middle East – as the venue hosts the prestigious tournament for the second consecutive year, which has long been a fixture on the global golf schedule, having first been staged in 2006.
Abu Dhabi Sports Council has confirmed free general admission tickets for all tournament days, giving fans in the UAE the opportunity to witness the world class field in person for free, including Major Champions Molinari and Shane Lowry, as well as defending champion Thomas Pieters. Tickets are available via abudhabichampionship.com
Irishman Power, who will finish 2022 Number One on the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup Rankings, will make his first appearance in the Rolex Series event at the beginning of a year which he hopes will deliver a Ryder Cup debut for Team Europe.
“The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship is one of the highlights on the DP World Tour schedule and I am really excited to make my debut next month,” Power said.
“I have heard great things about the event and I am relishing the chance to take part in it. I’ve played well on the PGA TOUR this year so hopefully I can bring my game to Abu Dhabi next month and take a step closer to that team at Marco Simone in September.”
The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship is one of the highlights on the DP World Tour schedule and I am really excited to make my debut next month - Séamus Power
Englishman Hatton, who won his fourth Rolex Series title when he secured the coveted Falcon Trophy in 2021, said: “I am looking forward to returning to the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, it’s a tournament I have a good record in.
“The win in 2021 is one of my greatest memories in golf and it is always an enjoyable experience to begin the year with such a big event in Abu Dhabi.”
Fox, whose best Rolex Series result to date was a second place in Ireland in 2018, said: “The events in the Middle East at the start of the year are always great fun, so I can’t wait to get over to Yas Links in January.
“I’ve played some really good golf over the last 12 months so hopefully I can continue that in the new year and compete for a Rolex Series title.”
Austrian Straka won his first PGA TOUR title at The Honda Classic earlier this year and made his Rolex Series debut in July’s Genesis Scottish Open.
“I loved my first taste of a Rolex Series event last year and I am eager for more at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
“Getting the opportunity to spend two weeks in Abu Dhabi at the start of the year and having the opportunity to test my game in a different location is really exciting.”
Molinari will return to the event for the first time in nine years, one week after leading the Continental Europe team in the Hero Cup, and is another man with his sights on securing a memorable home appearance at next year’s Ryder Cup.
“I haven’t played in Abu Dhabi for a long time so I’m looking forward to getting back there and trying out a new venue.
“I’ve got a pretty good record in the event so I’m hoping to resurrect some good memories when I get back there and try to challenge for the title.”
His Excellency Aref Al Awani, General Secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, said: “Everyone is very proud to bring the first Rolex Series tournament back to Yas Links. 2022 was a stellar debut for an incredible tournament to start this new era for our championship. We have no doubt 2023 will be even better. The move to Yas Island has helped us take golf to more families and we want to continue to grow the game.”
Abdulfattah Sharaf, HSBC UAE CEO and Head of International Markets, said: “We are delighted to support the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship as it returns to Yas Island for the second consecutive year. Last year was a milestone for the tournament entering a new era, and HSBC has been supporting new visions and opportunities across the UAE since we first opened our doors for business here more than 75 years ago.”
General Abduallah Alhashmi, Vice Chairman of the Emirates Golf Federation, said: "Today is a celebration not only for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship here at Yas Links but for all of UAE golf. This marks the end of the 2022 season and the start of the 2023 season for the DP World Tour here in the UAE. We at the Emirates Golf Federation are excited for the next few months. UAE golf will be on centre stage for the entire world to see as we host some of the biggest DP World Tour events. We look forward to continuing to strengthen our partnership with the tour as we are both committed to growing the game of golf in the UAE."
The successful move to Yas Island in 2022 heralded a new chapter for the tournament which highlights Abu Dhabi as an international sports hub with the season ending F1 Championship and Ultimate Fighting Championship also taking residency at the world-class venue.
Last month, the DP World Tour confirmed all Rolex Series events will have a total prize fund of US$9million – an increase of $1million from the 2022 prize. The 2023 tournament will be the second of four events forming the Middle East swing, as Abu Dhabi prepares to host two weeks of world class golf across multiple venues.
Yas Island is Abu Dhabi’s premier leisure, retail and entertainment hub, leading the way in supporting the emirate’s Economic Vision 2030. The new venue offers a unique blend of stunning views, first-class hospitality and a diverse range of award-winning leisure and entertainment attractions, enhancing the experience for fans, whether they attend in person or watch from around the world.
Yas Links Abu Dhabi, designed by Kyle Phillips, opened in 2010 and ranked 34th in Golf Digest's 2022 global list of Top 100 courses. It also hosted the golf element of the 2019 Special Olympics World Games.
Free general admission tickets for the 2023 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship are on sale at abudhabichampionship.com, with a range of premium experience tickets available starting from 1,200 AED.
