THE UAE
golf community was caught off-guard last month with the huge news that the much-loved Dubai Desert Classic would, from 2022 onwards, welcome a new title sponsor in the shape of international shipping and logistics provider Slync.io. Not only that, the move sees the event take another step up in level to join the prestigious Rolex Series with an $8 million prize fund to boot. “It was a it was a logical step for the tournament,” says Simon Corkill, Executive Tournament Director of Falcon & Associates, organisers of the newly-named Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic as well as the upcoming Dubai Moonlight Classic, both held at Emirates Golf Club. “The Desert Classic was the pioneering event in the Middle East and with the DP World Tour Championship and Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship being big Rolex Series events, it was a natural progression for us to step up to the Rolex Series.” Slync.io are making big inroads into golf having signed up big names such as Ryder Cup stars Justin Rose, Viktor Hovland and Bernd Wiesberger among others, as ambassadors. Corkill therefore believes that the company, which specialises in moving things from A to B, was a natural choice to help Dubai’s longest running Tour event move to the next level. “Dubai expects the best and we will deliver the best,” he says. “It was the right time for us to make the change and to have a global partner in Slync, who are heavily involved in golf now, they love the sport – it’s a great tool to grow their business.
Corkill believes the pull of the tournament will be greater than ever. It sits directly after fellow $8 million mega event, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on the European Tour schedule from Jan 27-28, meaning the world’s best players will have the chance to play for $16 million over a fortnight in the UAE.
Paul Casey celebrates on the 18th green after claiming victory at the 2021 Dubai Desert Classic.
To have an international company of that stature involved is great for us. The Rolex Series tournaments are the premier events on the European Tour and Dubai needs to be in that position as we go forward.” The Desert Classic’s roll of honour reads like a Who’s Who of modern golf history with such luminaries as Seve Ballesteros, Fred Couples, Ernie Els, Tiger Woods, Colin Montgomerie and Rory McIlroy adorning the famous Dallah Trophy. But, after a cash injection which more than doubles the $3.25 million on offer at the last two editions,
Worldwide GOLF 28
BIG IMPACT “I think that having an $8 million purse guarantees an extremely strong field,” he says. “We still need to work to get a field of the highest quality because a lot of the top players are in demand around the world but certainly with having two Rolex Series events back to back in the region the world’s top players will be here and it’s going to have a big impact.” The Desert Classic had already built up a reputation as one of the most eagerly anticipated events of the season in the 32 years since the inaugural event was played back in 1989 on a Majlis course that was surrounded on all four sides by desert where Dubai’s sprawling metropolis now stands. Since then, other Blue Ribband tournaments such the one held in the UAE’s capital, and the DP World Tour Championship, held at nearby Jumeirah Golf Estates, have staked their claim as the region’s leading golf showpiece. But with all the elements now in place for a strong and stable future, Corkill has laid out a very clear mandate for the Slnc.io Dubai Desert Classic. “We want to be the best event on Tour and we’ll strive very hard to do that,” he proclaims. “We’ve got some stiff competition,
