Yas Links Abu Dhabi, owned by Aldar and managed by Troon, will host some of the biggest golfing stars from the European Tour at the 17th edition of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship from January 20-23, 2022. 

 

Hosted at a new venue, the European Tour this week confirmed that the opening tournament of the 2022 Race to Dubai season will get underway with a Rolex Series event at Yas Links Abu Dhabi.

 

News of Yas Links Abu Dhabi’s addition to the European Tour schedule from 2022 onwards follows confirmation from the UAE authorities that people travelling to the emirate no longer need to show a negative Covid-19 test result to cross the border into the capital from Dubai. 

 

International travellers are also set to benefit following changes to the Abu Dhabi green list in October, with fully vaccinated individuals not required to quarantine on arrival, regardless of nationality or where they have come from. 

 

Abu Dhabi has also added 27 countries to its green list of travel, meaning that a total of 82 destinations, including the UK, France, Germany, the US, Israel, are exempt from quarantining regardless of their vaccination status.

 

Troon International President Mark Chapleski said: “I am very proud of our team who have been hard at work over the past two years to deliver a series of extensive on-course improvements at Yas Links Abu Dhabi. As the first true links style course in the Middle East, its current playability is recognised globally thanks to its top 50 ranking on Golf Digest's Top 100 courses in the world. 

 

"The course’s signature finishing holes on 16, 17 and 18 are regarded as one of the toughest trios in the UAE with the mangroves looming down the left of all three and it will be fascinating to see how the pros approach them in January next year.”

 

With the authorities confirming that the Covid-19 infection rate in the Emirate was just 0.2 per cent of all recorded tests in September 2021 and with cases continuing to fall in October, Abu Dhabi is expecting visitor numbers to increase significantly. 

Now entering 'peak season' with cooler weather, events such as the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix are set to draw a large number of international tourists and business travellers to the UAE’s capital.

 

Aldar Investment CEO Jassem Busaibe said: “Aldar is proud to continue its association with the European Tour and welcome the HSBC Championship to its Yas Links Abu Dhabi course for the first time. We look forward to welcoming players, guests, and officials to Yas Island, which is home to Aldar’s residential, retail, hospitality, entertainment, and leisure destinations.”

 

The man tasked with ensuring Yas Links Abu Dhabi is up to Tour standard by January 2022 is Course Manager Corey Finn who said: 

“The build up to the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship is always exciting but 2022 will be even more special with a brand-new venue for us to sink our teeth into. Many of the European and PGA Tour players will kick-start their competitive year in Abu Dhabi hoping to tame our tricky coastal course. 

 

"Working closely with the European Tour creates a special environment and this will be no different in terms of working with a new team at Yas Links Abu Dhabi, as we are all working towards the same goal; making the 2022 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship bigger and better than before.”-TradeArabia News Service