European Tour to visit Ras Al Khaimah for first time as part of five-week 'Middle East Swing'
The inaugural Ras Al Khaimah Championship presented by Phoenix Capital will be played at Al Hamra Golf Club from February 3-6; the event is one of five consecutive Middle East-based tournaments during the early part of the 2022 season
Monday 11 October 2021 13:32, UK
The European Tour will visit Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates for the first time in 2022 as part of an extended five-week 'Middle East Swing'.
The inaugural Ras Al Khaimah Championship presented by Phoenix Capital will take place at Al Hamra Golf Club from February 3-6 and have a $2m prize purse, with the event the third of five consecutive events in the region.
The tournament will follow back-to-back Rolex Series events in Abu Dhabi and Dubai and take place before the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, with an additional tournament in the Middle East to be announced in the coming weeks.
European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley said: "For decades the Middle East has been a hugely important region for the European Tour and today's announcement further illustrates that. We are delighted to take our Tour to a new Emirate, Ras Al Khaimah, for the first time.
"Our traditional spell in the Middle East at the start of each calendar year is always very popular and these five consecutive events in early 2022 will provide fantastic playing opportunities for our entire membership."
Al Hamra Golf Club previously hosted the European Challenge Tour over three consecutive years, holding the Ras Al Khaimah Golf Challenge in 2016 and 2017 before being the venue for the Ras Al Khaimah Challenge Tour Grand Final the following season.
The European Tour will also conclude its 2021 season with a fortnight in the UAE next month, with the AVIV Dubai Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates Fire course (November 11-14) followed by the final Rolex Series event of the year, the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, on the venue's Earth course from November 18-21.
