CHANGE TO ‘DESERT SWING’ DATES AS THE MIDDLE EAST GAINS A NEW EUROPEAN TOUR EVENT IN OMAN

The European Tour’s ‘Desert Swing’ is to undergo significant changes next year as the Middle East welcomes a new event to the early season schedule in the form of the NBO Oman Golf Classic.

The new addition, which will be held at the stunning Greg Norman designed Almouj Golf in Muscat, is an ‘upgrade’ of the hugely successful NBO Golf Classic Grand Final, which has been the season-ender on the Challenge Tour for since 2015 and was the penultimate event on the schedule in 2013 and 2014.

 “We are excited to have announced the 2018 European Tour International Schedule with a new Middle East country hosting a full European Tour event, the NBO Oman Golf Classic,” said the European Tour’s Middle East Director Nick Tarratt. “The tournament will carry a prize fund of 1.5 million euro. This is a first for the Tour and for the Sultanate of Oman. The tournament has grown from a European Challenge Tour event – the NBO Golf Classic in 2013 and 2014 – followed by the Challenge Tour’s NBO Golf Classic Grand Final at Al Mouj Golf, Muscat, in 2015 and 2016, the season-ending tournament on the Road to Oman.

“In 2018, the tournament becomes a full European Tour event as part of a three-year contract running to 2020. We thank National Bank of Oman for their enhanced support as well as the Oman Oil and Gas Minister HE Dr. Mohammed Al Rumhy and the Minister of Finance for Oman. As well as the NBO initiative there are other changes to the 2018 calendar.”

The addition of a new Oman event is accompanied by some date changes to the early season schedule. The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship will occupy its usual spot in the calendar from January 18-21 but the Omega Dubai Desert Classic will now follow it directly from January 25-28.

The NBO Oman European Tour Golf Classic will take place from February 15-18 with the Qatar Masters, traditionally held right after the Abu Dhabi event, now being staged from February 25-28.

To find out more, read our exclusive interview with the European Tour’s Middle East Director Nick Tarratt.

 

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