Doha: Ryder Cup heroes Thomas Bjorn and Stephen Gallacher will join European team-mates Henrik Stenson, Justin Rose and defending champion Sergio Garcia at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, which will be held here from January 21-24.
Bjorn, 43, was part of his third winning Ryder Cup team as a player last September, having competed on winning teams in 1997 and 2002, while he was also a vice captain in 2004, 2010 and 2012.
A three-time runner-up in the majors, the big Dane has won 15 European Tour titles, including a four-stroke victory at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters in 2011.
“I’m a big fan of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters,” Bjorn said. “I played really well in 2011 when I won it and it’s always an event I enjoy, with great weather, a fantastic course, excellent fans and just good all-round hospitality. With so many Ryder Cup winners this year, it looks like a strong field and that’s great for all of us.”
Gallacher made his Ryder Cup debut in September after arguably his best season yet on The European Tour. The Scot is a fan of the Middle East, having won the last two editions of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, but is hoping he can now peak a week earlier for the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters this time.
“I obviously have a great record in Dubai, having won there twice after finishing as the runner-up in 2012, so it would be nice to show that form a week earlier at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters,” said the 40-year-old Gallacher, who is set for his 14th appearance at Doha Golf Club, where his best finish is a tie for fourth in 2002.
“I’ve really enjoyed my golf for the past couple of years and had the experience of a lifetime at The Ryder Cup, which has given me another incentive to play well. I want to be part of that again. It’s good that so many of us will be there in Doha as I always look to start the year strongly in the Middle East.”
Hassan Al Nuaimi, President of the Qatar Golf Association, welcomed the Ryder Cup heroes to a field that already boasts Garcia, Stenson and Rose.
“Thomas Bjorn, a former champion here, and Stephan Gallacher are long-established European Tour stars and regulars at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters,” Al Nuaimi said.
“It is fantastic that we have two more Ryder Cup heroes to join our defending champion Sergio Garcia, Henrik Stenson, another former champion, and Justin Rose, three of the world’s biggest stars.”
Abdullah Saleh Al Raisi, CEO of Commercial Bank, said: “As title sponsors of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters for the 10th straight year, we are looking at one of our strongest-ever fields, with three of the world’s top six and five members of Europe’s winning Ryder Cup team from last September. Fans are in for a spectacular event.”
Tickets for the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters are available now at Virgin Megastores (in stores in Doha and online), Doha Golf Club and the Doha Rugby FC. Each ticket purchased entitles the holder to one free return drive to the event at Doha Golf Club by event partner Uber.
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