Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the European Tour have announced that the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship will move to Yas Island for the first time next year when Yas Links Abu Dhabi hosts the opening Rolex Series event of the 2022 season.
Designed by Kyle Phillips and recently ranked 48th in Golf Digest’s global Top 100 courses, Yas Links will herald a new chapter for the prestigious event as it moves to one of the world’s fastest growing leisure and entertainment destinations in Abu Dhabi from January 20-23, 2022.
First staged in 2006, the tournament has been played at the iconic Abu Dhabi Golf Club for 16 consecutive years and, having built a strong legacy in the Middle East, the move to Yas Island highlights Abu Dhabi as an international sports hub with the season ending F1 Championship and Ultimate Fighting Championship also taking residency at the world-class venue.
Yas Island is Abu Dhabi’s premier leisure, retail and entertainment hub, leading the way in supporting the emirate’s Economic Vision 2030. The new venue offers a unique blend of stunning views, first-class hospitality and a diverse range of award-winning leisure and entertainment attractions, enhancing the experience for fans, whether they attend in person or watch from around the world.
His Excellency Aref Al Awani, General Secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, said: “We are proud of all our sports facilities that host various events and support our plans for further success. By moving this award-winning tournament to Yas Links for the first time, we will add more excellence to the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and present an exceptional event, especially as it is being held at one of the world’s finest and most magnificent golf courses, and on one of the world’s leading leisure and entertainment destinations, Yas Island.
“We are looking forward to another fantastic Championship to kick off an exciting year of sport in the UAE.”
Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi, Chief Executive Officer, Miral Asset Management, said: “We are thrilled to welcome the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship to Yas Links Abu Dhabi for next year’s 2022 tournament. This announcement further reinforces our longstanding partnership with Abu Dhabi Sports Council to bring world-class sporting events to the UAE’s capital. Live sports and spectacles are integral to our strategy and unique vision to further position Yas Island as a top global destination for leisure and entertainment.”
Jassem Busaibe, Chief Executive Officer at Aldar Investment, said: “Aldar is proud to continue its long association with the European Tour and welcome the HSBC Championship to its Yas Links Abu Dhabi course for the first time. Yas Island is a perfect home for the event, and we look forward to welcoming players, guests, and officials to the island, which is home to Aldar’s most iconic residential, retail, hospitality, entertainment, and leisure destinations.”
Abdulfattah Sharaf, HSBC UAE CEO and Head of International, said: “Opening up a world of opportunity is in HSBC’s DNA – it’s what we’ve been doing here for our customers for 75 years – and by bringing the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship to Yas Links for the first time, we mark another milestone on our journey of supporting new visions and new ideas in the UAE.”
Keith Pelley, CEO of the European Tour, added: “As one of our Rolex Series events, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and Yas Links offer our players and fans an experience like no other. Yas Island is synonymous with major sporting events in the United Arab Emirates and we are delighted our first Rolex Series tournament of the year will be highlighted on the global stage.”
Tyrrell Hatton produced a dominant performance to win his fourth Rolex Series title and make the perfect start to the 2021 season at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in January. The Englishman went toe-to-toe with four-time Major winner and Ryder
Cup teammate Rory McIlroy throughout the week and eventually finished four shots clear of the stellar field to kickstart his year.
Aldar Properties-owned Yas Links Abu Dhabi has seen a series of extensive improvements, ensuring the current course conditions are now perfect for the world’s best golfers. Yas Links is famous for its signature finishing holes on 16, 17 and 18, which are regarded as one of the toughest trios in the UAE.
The 17th edition of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship will be the first of back-to-back Rolex Series events in the United Arab Emirates with tournaments in Abu Dhabi and Dubai part of the traditional ‘Desert Swing’ attracting golf’s leading players.
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