MasterCard preferred card of Dubai Desert Classic for third year

MasterCard is the Preferred Card of the Dubai Desert Classic and is supporting the US$2.4 million tournament for the third year in a row.

The Dubai Desert Classic will be staged at the Emirates Golf Club's Majlis Course from February 2-5 2006, and will be broadcast to golf fans around the world.

Organizers estimate there will be over 40,000 spectators drawn from UAE, Middle East and further afield.

To take advantage of MasterCard's ticket discount opportunity, MasterCard cardholders should purchase their Dubai Desert Classic 2006 tickets on-line at the official website www.dubaidesertclassic.com. In doing so they will get a 24% discount on the full ticket price.

"MasterCard sponsors some of the world's most prestigious golfing tournaments and we are delighted to continue to support the Dubai Desert Classic,"

said Denzil Lawson, senior vice president and general manager, Middle East & North Africa, MasterCard International.

"MasterCard cardholders are passionate about golf, often traveling from tournament to tournament to get close to the action. Our continued support of the Classic, and other such events, helps bring cardholders closer to the game they love and golf's top professional players. We are delighted to be able to pass onto our cardholders a preferential ticket rate. The online ticketing facility means that MasterCard cardholders can pay for their tickets safely and conveniently," Mr Lawson said.

MasterCard has a long established relationship with Golf. It is an official sponsor of the US PGA Tour, PGA Champions Tour, the PGA of America, The European PGA Tour and the LPGA Tour along with a global array of tournaments including the PGA Championship, the MasterCard Classic in Mexico; the MasterCard Masters in Australia; the Senior British Open Championship in the UK; The MasterCard Championship in Hawaii and the Bay Hill Invitational Presented By MasterCard in Florida. In addition, MasterCard enjoys a relationship with golf legend Tom Watson, Adam Scott and most recently with Paul Casey.