Did You Know - Commercial Bank Qatar Masters
• Branden Grace will try to create history by becoming the first player to hold onto the Mother of Pearl Trophy. The 27 year old has yet to make a successful defence of a European Tour title.
• Should the 1999 and 2012 champion Paul Lawrie win again, the Scot would be the first player to win the title on three occasions.
• There are 15 players in the field who have won European Tour events in the Middle East. This includes Ernie Els, winner in Qatar in 2005. The South African holds the record for most European Tour titles in the region, with four, along with Rory McIlroy and Henrik Stenson.
• The Commerical Bank Qatar Masters holds the European Tour record for the fewest number of shots between the halfway leaders and the cut mark, just five in 2004. The 36 hole leaders were on 138 (-6), whilst the cut fell at 143 (-1). This five shot record was matched in 2012 at the Sicilian Open.
• Steve Webster made European Tour history by becoming the first player to begin a tournament with an albatross. He started from the par five tenth hole in this event in 2014.
• Jakub Hrinda made in 2015 by becoming the youngest player to compete in the tournament, aged 14 years and 305 days. This beat the previous record of Dominic Foos, who was 15 and 142 days in 2013.
