Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, big names

After more than a month, the European Tour returns with the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, the inaugural event of 2021 scheduled from 21 to 24 January in the United Arab Emirates. Immediately a show appointment in Abu Dhabi with the first of the four seasonal events of the Rolex Series, which will offer a total prize money of 8,000,000 dollars.

From Justin Thomas, world number 3, to Rory McIlroy, sixth in the ranking. Up to Lee Westwood (2020 Race to Dubai winner and reigning champion) and Tyrrell Hatton (ninth in the world rankings). These are some of the most anticipated big names in the competition. But in the field there are also 7 italians. With Renato Paratore also Guido Migliozzi, Edoardo Molinari, Francesco Laporta, Andrea Pavan, Lorenzo Gagli and Nino Bertasio.

Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

In an event that sees the beginninf of the collaboration between Eurotour and PGA Tour. In addition to Thomas - who aims to take second place in the ranking, taking advantage of Jon Rahm's forfeit in The American Express, due to back problems - among the very champions in the race, like Justin Rose (winner of the Rio de Janeiro Games 2016), Shane Lowry (scored in 2019 in Abu Dhabi) and Tommy Fleetwood (champion in 2019 who turns 30 today), often in action on the maximum US circuit. Also on the field Padraig Harrington, captain of Team Europe at the Ryder Cup 2021 in Wisconsin.

Meanwhile, last weekend the Hawaii swing of the PGA Tour ended in a thrilling way with the Sunday of the Sony Open 2021. American Kevin Na (-21) withstood a large group of opponents and triumphed by a single stroke, recording his fifth career victory on the circuit.

At the Waialae Country Club the 37-year-old continued his excellent series early on, which sees him winner of an event in all the last four seasons, and also continues his climb in the ranking where from today he will occupy the 23rd position in the world order of merit. Na, who was about to forfeit before the start on Thursday due to a hip problem, had entered the final round two strokes behind compatriot Brendan Steele, who however struggled from the starting shot and with a opaque -1 of the day was classified in fourth position at -19.The hopes of Na were therefore immediately ignited and his 65 in the fourth round, embellished by a final of -4 in the last six holes when it mattered most, was enough to keep behind the English Chris Kirk and the young Chilean Joaquin Niemann who finished at -20, keeping the pace of the winner with the respective 65 and 66 of the day.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/36dncnB