Golf: Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority announces Championship Spirit award
Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship is offering yet another surprise for the field. The organisers have announced ‘The Spirit of the Championship’ award for the individual who has demonstrated utmost dedication with the tournament since it started.
Now that is a good strategy to keep the stakeholders of the event motivated and happy. According to the organisers, it does not matter who the winner is. It can be a golfer or even a spectator, whoever the management deems worthy, it will honour him with
the accolade.
The award has been created by Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, who has been working for promotion of the event and golf in the region. The tournament, which originally started in 2006, has now become one of the most important events in the desert swings on the
European Tour. With passing years, the tournament has witnessed increase in quality of the field.
According to the media reports, Lee Westwood, Graeme McDowell, Martin Kaymer, Louis Oosthuizen, Phil Mickelson, Ian Poulter, Ross Fisher, and Paul Casey will be part of the four-day session, which will kick off on 20
January, 2011.
Faisal Al Sheikh, Events Manager of ADTA, says the purpose of the award is to salute the individuals whose efforts have made the tournament one of the biggest events on the European circuit.
He said, “In instigating this accolade, we make a commitment to recognising the unsung heroes that make this tournament the world-class spectacle of golfing excellence that it is. To stage an event of this nature is a major challenge and its success involves
everyone going that extra mile. That is what we want to honour.”
The award ceremony will take place on Sunday after the tournament wraps up at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club.
The Spirit of the Championship award is one of the several marketing strategies implemented by the ADTA to make the event larger than life. Earlier, they increased the purse to $2.7 million, which ultimately attracted six of the ten major winners.
Moreover, the management secured a high-profile sponsorship deal, which increased the winners’ purse by $0.5 million. Among those endorsers were Saeed & Mohammed Al Naboodah Group, Emirates Palace hotel, Etisalat, Tourism Development and Investment Company,
Rolex, Cadillac, CNN, Xerox, Etihad Airlines, and Gulf News.
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