Inicio News Darren Clarke announced as patron of the MENA Golf Tour

Darren Clarke announced as patron of the MENA Golf Tour

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MENA Golf Tour members will not be short on motivation as Darren Clarke, one of the worlds’ best-known golfers, has been named as Patron as part of the tour’s ambitious drive to fast track growth of the game in the region.

The major champion and multiple winner on the international circuit, Clarke is no stranger to the region, having competed in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic 20 times since making his first appearance in 1992 and is familiar with most aspects of Middle East golf.

In his new role as Patron, the popular Ulsterman will provide strategic input into the planning, implementation and management of dynamic programmes that leverage the game of golf.

An initiative of the ShaikhMaktoum Golf Foundation, the MENA Golf Tour was created in 2011 to opennew windows of opportunity for MENA national professionals and amateurs to develop their golfing skills, alongside international players on home soil.

Four years and 29 events later, the Tour has changed the face of golf in region with echoes of its growing strength reverberating across the continents as each event is now oversubscribed, resulting in the introduction of Q-School — a natural progression for the tour – this season.

“With a population of close to 400 million, golf in the region certainly has the potential to grow even bigger,” Clarke told the media on the sidelines of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic on Saturday.

“When it comes to promoting a game, either you should have good infrastructure or role model champions. The region certainly has a number of golf courses of international standards and it’s a question of putting in place a comprehensive programme that excites parents and children if we are to take the game forward,” said Clarke, whose impressive CV features 22 wins worldwide, including 14 on the European Tour, in addition to making five consecutive Ryder Cup appearances between 1997 and 2006.

“I will be more than happy to give my input. But, I feel convinced that MENA Golf Tour is headed in the right direction as they are targeting the region’s amateurs, in particular, to take their game to the next level. The case in point is the victory of Morocco’s Ahmed Marjane, who graduated from the non-paid ranks to win a MENA Golf Tour event as a professional last year.

“His victory is just the beginning. With incentives like guaranteed spots in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and exemptions into the Final Stage of the Asian Tour’s Q-School on offer, more champions will emerge as we move forward,” said the 2011 Open champion, who will also be playing in one of the MENA Golf Tour events this season.

“The current Omega Dubai Desert Classic featured seven MENA Golf Tour members and the recent Asian Tour’s Dubai Open saw 23 of them compete for honours. Which was great. I don’t think any other tour offers that many invitations. It was also good see Chris Cannon and Peter Stojanovski earn their Asian Tour cards, taking the MENA Golf Tour route.

“With golf returning to the Olympics after 100 years, the MENA Golf Tour takes on special significance since it has the potential to providethe right springboard for future success.”

Mohamed JumaBuamaim, chairman of the MENA Golf Tour, said: “We are proud that Darren has agreed to be Patron of the MENA Golf Tour as his commitment to sport makes him the perfect fit for the tour.

“His wealth of experience and global profile will bring special energy to the tour aswe aim to include more stops on the tour in the near future.

“Many more countries in the region have expressed their interest in hosting the event, which is a good sign. With Darren being the Patron, I am confident that there are truly exciting times ahead as he shares our mission to drive the game forward. The journey that began four years also is fast picking up pace.”

Affiliated to R&A, the worldwide golf governing body based in the home of golf, St Andrews, and the Arab Golf Federation, the 2015 edition of the tour features 10 events, including one each in Oman, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

The tour kicks off with a Qualifying School, introduced for the first time,at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in the Moroccan capital of Rabat on March 31.