Qatar Masters Gets Underway at Doha Golf Club

Doha, March 04 (QNA) - Qatar Golf Association is set to host the 22nd edition of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, which will be held at the Doha Golf Club. The tournament will start on Wednesday and will continue for four consecutive days with the participation of the best golfers in the world. The Commercial Bank Qatar Masters is an annual golf tournament that is part of the European Tour in the Middle East. In 2018, it attracted more than 20,000 people. The tournament has been broadcasted through international television networks to more than 400 million viewers worldwide. With the launch of the 22nd edition of the tournament, attentions will turn to Doha, where the most famous golfers will compete for the Pearl Trophy on one of the most challenging courses on The Tour. The organizing committee of the tournament will hold a press conference on Tuesday to reveal the details of the tournament and announce the number of participants. Qatar Golf Association's Board of Directors has identified the three best national team's golfers who will participate in the tournament, namely Saleh Al Kaabi, Ali Al Shahrani and Jaham Al Kuwari. Also taking part in this tournament Denmark's Mikkel Mathiesen, who claimed title of the 33rd edition of the Qatar Open Amateur Golf Championship 2019. The Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, which was first launched in 1998, has helped establish Qatar's position as a host country for world-class sporting events. Since its inception, the Doha Golf Club hosts Qatar Masters tournament which is sponsored annually by the Commercial Bank. The tournament is held every year as part of the European Tour. Designed by Peter Harradine and unveiled in 1997, the 7,374-yard Championship Course has proven to be one of the longest par 72 courses on the European Tour. It includes eight strategically positioned lakes, 65 giant cacti, numerous imposing limestone rock and numerous long green lanes. Qatar Golf Association's Secretary General and the tournament's General Coordinator Fahad bin Nasser Al Nuaimi said "Preparations for the tournament are underway, together with our partners who have played a vital role in enhancing the event experience for both players and spectators each year. We look forward to welcoming the players, golf fans and our valued sponsors to Doha Golf Club for another edition of world-class golf in March 2019." Al Nuaimi added that Qatar Golf Association will hold a press conference on Tuesday to explain all the details of the tournament, and all the information related to media coverage and the processing of all facilities related to the coverage of the tournament. In the run-up to the tournament, Commercial Bank has organised a range of activities to promote the tournament and encourage local participation in golf. The other mini-golf events took place at Villaggio Mall in Qatar, with members of the public being encouraged to put their golfing skills to the test. Volunteers were also present at the Commercial Bank's booth to provide key tips and information about the sport. In addition to the mini-golf event, the Commercial Bank has organised a series of educational tours across schools and universities in Qatar to help students learn more about golf. The highly-anticipated event is organised by the Qatar Golf Association, the Qatar Olympic Committee, Doha Golf Club (DGC) and long-term title sponsor, Commercial Bank. The tournament is considered Qatar's annual must-attend sporting and social event, and widely known for bringing together the world's best golf talent; the likes of Branden Grace, Sergio Garcia, Rory Mcllroy, Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson have all competed in past years. Every year, the tournament hosts the world's top golfers. This year, England's Ryder Cup star David Howell, the current European Tour Tournament Committee Chairman, announced that he will take part in the tournament. In a statement before arriving in Doha, Howell said "Beware of the wind!", which is his sound advice on how to play the challenging Peter Harradine-designed Doha Golf Club when the 22nd staging of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters gets underway on March 7. Howell has come close to being an ever-present competitor in the prestigious Commercial Bank Qatar Masters. Since playing in the inaugural event in 1998, he has missed only the 2005 and 2007 editions. In that time, the likeable Englishman, who is also a regular television golf pundit and broadcaster, has had five top-10 finishes and came in fourth in 2003, just three shots off the winner, South Africa's Darren Fichardt. "I'm a great fan of Doha Golf Club and the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters," said Howell, who has played more than 600 tournaments in his illustrious European Tour career. "Qatar Masters is the oldest and most well-established tournament in the Middle East and it's a course the players love to play," he added. Howell said "you have to make sure you respect the wind because it's always there. It's a really tough test, although there are birdie and eagle chances to be had. The 639-yard par-5 ninth is the longest on the course, yet the par-4 16th is an eagle opportunity and if you can produce a big hit on the 589-yard par-5, 18th it can provide the perfect place for a spectacular finish." (QNA)