Editor’s Letter

It’s the most wonderful time of the year

The festive period signals the start of a golfi ng party across the UAE

By Matt Smith

THE FESTIVE PERIOD is a great time to be in the UAE — fi reworks, family reunions and fun.

It is even better if you happen to be a sports fan as you really get spoilt for choice when it comes to live events. We have recently witnessed the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix, almost 200,000 runners taking over Sheikh Zayed Road for the Dubai Run and the DP World Tour Championship — and that was all in just one weekend. We have also had the likes of the UFC fi ghters and even, for the fi rst time, NBA basketball legends taking to the courts. The famous Dubai Rugby Sevens and Mubadala World Tennis Championships (plus numerous World Cup fan zones to watch the action from Qatar) are still to come before the year is out.

The good news for golf fans is the recent visit to Jumeirah Golf Estates, where Jon Rahm made history as the fi rst man to claim the DP World Tour Championship for a third time, is only the start of the sport’s UAE ‘festive’ festival — which seems to get better year on year.

The ‘UAE Swing’ will be back upon us in the New Year as the 2023 DP World Tour season gets going, with the added bonus of the GB-&-Ireland-versusContinental-Europe Hero Cup making its bow at Abu Dhabi Golf Club in early January as Team Europe’s top players

One man sure to be here again following his fourth DP World Tour Rankings triumph at Jumeirah is world No. 1 McIlroy

cutting a deal Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy both made history at the DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates

look to impress Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald in a matchplay event.

Fans can expect to watch the likes of Rahm, world No. 1 Rory McIlroy, US Open champ Matt Fitzpatrick, major winners Shane Lowry and Danny Willett, and a host of stars such as Viktor Hovland, Seamus Power, Robert MacIntyre, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Adrian Meronk and Thomas Pieters fi ght it out in two teams of 10 over three days on the famous National Course.

Then we have the fi rst two $9 million DP World Tour Rolex Series events of 2023. The 18th Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship returns to Yas Links before the 35th edition (time fl ies!) of the Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club, and fans can keep the party going into February with the second staging of the $2 million Ras Al Khaimah Championship at Al Hamra Golf Club, where Nicolai Hojgaard will be looking to defend his title at one of the Tour’s newest tournaments.

One man sure to be here in the Middle East again following his fourth DP World Tour Rankings triumph at Jumeirah Golf Estates is McIlroy. The Northern Irishman is coming off a stellar year having become only the second man in history to claim both the PGA Tour and DP World Tour season-long crowns after Henrik Stenson. The world No. 1 says he is in the shape and form of his life and he will be eager to get of to a fl ier in the UAE as he hunts an elusive fi fth major before leading Europe’s hopes against the Americans at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, Rome, in September.

At the other end of the golfi ng career spectrum, it will also be a huge 2023 for Dubai youngster Chiara Noja, who claimed her fi rst Ladies European Tour title (after only nine starts) at the recent Aramco Team Series event at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in Jeddah.

Chiara, at only 16, had a sensational 2022, securing her full LET card through the circuit’s Access Series, becoming a Golf Saudi Ambassador and taking the crown in Saudi Arabia in dramatic fashion by defeating Charley Hull in a playoff — all while studying for her GCSEs. She will be buzzing to get going again when the new season begins — especially with February’s Saudi Ladies International announcing a massive leap in prize money from $1 million to $5 million to match the cash on off er for the men’s event, which takes place two weeks earlier, again at Royal Greens.

All this before the expanded second season of LIV Golf gets going!

Here’s hoping you don’t overindulge over the festive period, because you will need all your energy to follow the golfing festival across the UAE and beyond.

Enjoy, and here’s to another thrilling year of golf in 2023!

editor-in-chief Obaid Humaid Al Tayer

managing partner & group editor

Ian Fairservice

editor Matt Smith art director Clarkwin Cruz editorial assistant Londresa Flores instruction editors Luke Tidmarsh, Euan Bowden, Tom Ogilvie, Matthew Brookes, Lea Pouillard, Alex Riggs

chief commercial officer

Anthony Milne publisher David Burke

general manager - production

S. Sunil Kumar production manager Binu Purandaran

the golf digest publications editor-in-chief Jerry Tarde

director, business development

& partnerships Greg Chatzinoff international editor Ju Kuang Tan

golf digest usa editor-in-chief Jerry Tarde general manager Chris Reynolds editorial director Max Adler executive editor Peter Morrice art director Chloe Galkin managing editors Alan P. Pittman, Ryan Herrington (News) chief playing editor Tiger Woods playing editors Phil Mickelson, Francesco Molinari, Collin Morikawa, Jordan Spieth, Bubba Watson, Tom Watson

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