Dubai (UAE): Two time Major winner and 2004 Dubai Desert Classic champion, Mark O’Meara returns to the scene of his last tournament win at the Emirates Golf Club this week aiming for yet another Classic performance before turning his attention to the US PGA Seniors Tour.
To be staged over the Majlis Course from Thursday (February 2), the $2.4 million PGA European Tour event will see the man from Florida revisit the site of his 2004 triumph where he saw off the challenges of Tiger Woods and Ernie Els to lift the famous trophy at the sixth attempt.
Sponsored by Dubai Aluminium Company (DUBAL), the 2006 Dubai Desert Classic again brings O’Meara face-to-face with Woods and Els in what is undoubtedly the strongest field seen in the 17-year history of the tournament. But having conquered the famous Majlis Course two years ago, O’Meara knows what it takes to win the biggest prize in Middle East golf – even if that 2004 success surprised him.
"To be honest, I actually I don’t know what happened two years ago!" laughed the popular 49-year-old. "What happened at Augusta in 1998? I didn’t go into Augusta feeling like I was going to win the Masters or necessarily playing that well. Sometimes I do better when my expectations are lower.
"To go almost six years without a victoryâ?¦ it was a special moment for me. At 47 years of age, it told me I could still do it. Certainly, winning the Masters and the Open Championship in ’98 was a dream come true, but to be honest with you, winning the Dubai Desert Classic is also up there with anything in my career."
The oldest man ever to lift the Desert Classic trophy, O’Meara now has his eye on the Seniors Tour and is relishing the chance to maintain a career that includes five Ryder Cup appearances as well as those two Major successes at Augusta and Royal Birkdale.
"It’s not like I haven’t played well on the regular Tour and I still like golf, but it’s going to be a new beginning when I turn 50 and compete against players that are more my age," he added. "The guys out there on the Champions Tour are still very, very good and I don’t underestimate their ability to play the game – it’ll just be better playing them than playing against a 28 year old!"
Besides DUBAL as the main sponsor of the Desert Classic, CNN International, Emaar, Dubai Waterfront by Nakheel, and Samsung as co-sponsors, other sponsors include: Emirates as official airline and Hole In One Sponsor; official caterer, hotel and challenge match sponsor Jebel Ali Golf Resort and Spa; Official Bank National Bank of Dubai; official courtesy car BMW; and event newspaper Gulf News.
Contact:
Alan Ewens
Dubai Desert Classic Media Manager
PO Box 52465, Dubai.
Tel/Fax: 04 3512887
Mob: 050 4514188
alan2804@emirates.net.ae
www.dubaidesertclassic.com
