The European Tour returns to Jumeriah Golf Estates for the AVIV Dubai Championship. Here are your five things to know.
First of two weeks in Dubai
The AVIV Dubai Championship returns to Jumeriah Golf Estates for a second year in a row this week as the 2021 Race to Dubai nears its conclusion. .
The penultimate event of the season forms part of a double header in Dubai and will be followed by the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, where the latest European Number One will be crowned.
Returning to the Fire Course
The event returns to the Fire Course at Jumeriah Golf Estates, which made a successful debut as a European Tour host venue during Antoine Rozner’s maiden victory last season.
Designed by Greg Norman, the par 72 course is the second of two courses at Jumeriah Golf Estates, and is a fitting venue in the week prior to the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, which has been played at the venue’s Earth Course since 2009.
Last year, Andy Sullivan shot a flawless first round 61 on his way to a new course record as he flirted with European Tour history.
Rozner defends
Antoine Rozner claimed his maiden European Tour title with a superb two shot victory during last year’s tournament.
The Frenchman, who was competing in his rookie season, began the final day four shots behind overnight leader Andy Sullivan but produced an impressive 64 that culminated in a final hole birdie to earn his first victory.
He makes his return to the Fire Course this week and will get his defence under way at 7.30am on Thursday from the 10th tee alongside three-time Major winner and 2020 European Ryder Cup Captain Padraig Harrington, and this week’s milestone man, Stephen Gallacher.
Gallacher hits 600 event milestone
Scotsman Stephen Gallacher will join an elite group of players in the game’s history when he competes in his 600**th** European Tour event at this week’s AVIV Dubai Championship.
The 47-year-old, who made his first start in 1996, has enjoyed an enviable career on the European Tour. Among his successes are four individual tournament wins and victory on home soil as part of the 2014 European Ryder Cup team.
He will become just the 14th man to reach the milestone, and the first since Søren Kjeldsen played his 600th event at the 2020 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. Gallacher is also the fourth Scot to reach 600 events, following Sam Torrance, Colin Montgomerie, and Paul Lawrie.
The final counting event
The AVIV Dubai Championship is the final counting event on the 2021 Race to Dubai to determine the 110 players who will retain their membership for the 2022 season, before the season ends at the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai. With 12 players currently counted as “in addition” to the 110, the PROVISIONAL cut off at the moment is 122nd position.
A new Top 110 from the Race to Dubai will be recognised for 2022, as will the Top 20 on the European Challenge Tour’s Road to Mallorca Rankings.
However, there is a slight change this year in that no current Ranked Member will lose their Membership. Those existing Ranked Members not making the Top 110 will be re-ranked based on the 2021 Race to Dubai, but with safety nets established within the structure to restrict movement downwards within the category system.
