Duke of York salutes Abu Dhabi's golfing ambitions

With a star studded field including over a third of the world's top 25 names - such as Australia's Adam Scott (8), Ireland's Padraig Harrington (9), Swedish number one, Henrik Stenson (16), and the English trio of Luke Donald (18), Ian Poulter (22) and Lee Westwood (23) - vying for the coveted 'Falcon' trophy, Abu Dhabi looks set to solidify its reputation as one of the globe's top emerging golfing destinations.

"All golfers search out new experiences and Abu Dhabi will benefit from this. Abu Dhabi Golf Club has held the torch for golf in the emirate for some time but now there are new golfing developments on the immediate horizon both on Saadiyat Island and elsewhere. Don't forget the sand golf too! I look forward to expanding my golfing experiences as these new courses open in the coming years," said HRH Prince Andrew, who took part in Wednesday's Al-Masaood Pro-Am - the curtain raiser to the European PGA Tour sanctioned Championship.

The Gary Player Saadiyat Beach Golf Course - the South African's first signature course in the Middle East - will be built on Saadiyat Island, the 27 square kilometre island lying 500 metres offshore the UAE capital - another shot-in-the-arm for the capital's golf tourism aspirations.

"Abu Dhabi is developing a portfolio of world-class sporting events, a fact illustrated by the success and international pedigree of competition vying for the Championship. The addition of a second world-class course in the capital is a major boost for our global appeal,"

said His Excellency Mubarak Al Muhairi, Director General, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), which organises the championship, a Managing Director of Abu Dhabi's Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC), the company behind the Saadiyat development.

Many of the Championship's players also heaped praise on the Abu Dhabi Golf Club's flagship National Course, which is in pristine condition.

"The course is fantastic. It's held up really well and I think it's very demanding. It's actually one of the few courses where we hit a lot of drivers these days. I like the way it's set up," said Adam Scott, the world number eight - the highest ranked player in the Abu Dhabi field.

Spain's Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, who started day three on six under, added: "The course is really, really tough. The greens are fantastic. It's easy to hole putts, but on the other hand, you need to know how to read the grain."