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Dubai Desert Classic celebrates its 20th anniversary
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Dubai Desert Classic celebrates its 20th anniversary

The European Tour’s ‘Gulf Trilogy’ concludes this week with the 20th Dubai Desert Classic, a tournament which broke the mould two decades ago when the impossible became a reality.

Ernie Els 600x300

The idea of world-class professional golf, played on lush green, perfectly manicured fairways, would have been dismissed by many as ridiculous when the idea was first mooted but, 20 years on, the Dubai Desert Classic stands as a shining example of what can be achieved.

From one tournament in the region to its current quota of three, the Dubai Desert Classic is the final event of a three-week swing which has seen Paul Casey win the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship and Alvaro Quiros win the Commercialbank Qatar Masters. Over these three weeks, spectators will have had the opportunity to see 23 of the World’s top 50 players in action.

The history of the Dubai Desert Classic goes back to 1986 when HH General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, now Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, approved the innovative concept of developing a green oasis in the desert. Just two years later, the Emirates Golf Club was opened and, shortly afterwards, the idea of establishing a world class tournament at a clearly world class facility was conceived.

At the same time, The European Tour was actively seeking an opening to spread its wings - bearing in mind this was several years before the first co-sanctioned tournament in Asia, Australia or South Africa - and the combination of a warm climate and state of the art facilities, allied to a magnificent Karl Litten-designed course, acted as the catalyst for the Tour to come on board in the 1989 Karl Litten Desert Classic, named in honour of the designer.

Ken Schofield, then Executive Director of The European Tour, identified an opportunity to expand the horizons of the Tour at a time of year when playing conditions in northern Europe were not conducive to tournament play and over the succeeding 20 years, the tournament has gone from strength to strength.

Mark James of England was the inaugural champion in 1989, with Ireland's Eamonn Darcy winning the re-titled Emirates Airline Desert Classic in 1990. From 1992 onwards, the tournament has been known as the Dubai Desert Classic and, with the exception of 1999 and 2000 when it moved to the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, has been played at Litten's verdant oasis in the desert - the Emirates Golf Club.

Prize money has risen from €385,000 in 1989 to €1,941,121  this week, with Ernie Els (1994, 2002 and 2005) and Tiger Woods (2006 and 2008) the only multiple winners. Els also holds the Emirates course record of 61, 11 under par, which he shot in the first round on his way to victory in 1994.

Els has come close to adding a fourth title over the last two years but was beaten into second place in 2007 by Henrik Stenson and then denied by the brilliance of Tiger Woods last year, when the World Number One tore through the field with a back nine of 31, winning the title with an incredible up and down on the 72nd green. His mesmerising final round of 65 beat Martin Kaymer by one with Els dropping back to a share of third with Louis Oosthuizen when Els, needing an eagle to force a play-off, bravely went for the green in two but came up short in the water.

While Woods is unable to defend the title as he continues his recovery from knee surgery, Els is back looking to once again lay claim to the title.  "I always enjoy spending time in Dubai,” said Els who has put his design footprints on the emirate's golfing landscape with 'The Els Club’ located at the Dubai Sports City.

“The tournament is a huge attraction of Dubai. The emirate has come a very long way since my first visit here in 1993. The tournament is still my baby. That’s the one I always love to play in,” said Els.

Stenson, the 2007 champion and resident of Dubai, is another back at a tournament he considers his “home” event and following his impressive performance in Qatar where he finished tied second with the in-form Oosthuizen, and both will again be among the favourites to lift the spectacular trophy.

World Number Two Sergio Garcia, the current leader of The Race to Dubai, headlines the field looking for his first win in the emirate to extend his lead at the top, while Robert Karlsson, winner of the Harry Vardon Trophy in 2008 and the second highest ranked player in the field, is another looking to get a win under his belt.

In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Dubai Desert Classic, past champions have been invited and 11 of the 16 former winners will be competing over the famed Majlis course.

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