DP World Tour quartet confirmed for Bahrain Championship

TDT | Manama                                                     

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The field for the Bahrain Championship has started to take shape as Dan Bradbury, Alex Fitzpatrick, Yannik Paul and Jordan Smith all confirmed their spots in the hotly anticipated tournament taking place at the Royal Golf from February 1-4, 2024 where they will tee it up alongside Ryder Cup legend Thomas Bjorn.

The quartet, all rising stars on the DP World Tour, will travel to Bahrain directly from the Ras Al Khaimah Championship where they will be competing the preceding week as part of the International Swing on the new-look 2024 Race to Dubai.

The events follow back-to-back weeks in Dubai with the Dubai Invitational and the Hero Dubai Desert Classic as the Middle East takes centre stage on the DP World Tour schedule. Englishman Bradbury, who enjoyed a stand-out debut season in 2023, is looking forward to progressing further in 2024 after finishing 36th in his maiden year on the Race to Dubai.

“I enjoy playing golf in the Middle East so I’m excited to head back to Ras Al Khaimah and also visit Bahrain for the first time. They should be great events,” said Bradbury. The Royal Golf Club course is set to be in immaculate condition after undergoing extensive upgrades, with a number of greens on the front 9 having been redesigned.

And it’s not only the DP World Tour stars who will have the chance to experience the pristine playing surfaces as golf lovers are to be given the chance to play alongside them by purchasing a spot in the Pro-Am taking place on Wednesday January 31.

Prices start at 825BD and include an invitation to the exclusive Bahrain Championship Players Party, one-night stay at the Official Hotel and a host of other benefits. General admission is free of charge for spectators while there will also be a host of premium experiences available, as well as a full programme of entertainment, including live music, and a wealth of F&B options, for the whole family to enjoy.

Bradbury’s fellow countryman Fitzpatrick earned his playing privileges for 2024 through a combination of the Challenge Tour’s Road to Mallorca and strong performances in limited starts on the DP World Tour, including a tie for 17th in The Open at Royal Liverpool, and is now able to play a full schedule on the Race to Dubai.

“There was quite a lot of pressure last year because I felt like I had to play well in the limited opportunities I got to play, so it’s quite nice now to be able to plan my schedule a bit more,” said Fitzpatrick. “It’s always nice to go out to the Middle East so I’m looking forward to getting out there next month.”

Germany’s Paul, who won the 2021 Mallorca Golf Open, is also looking to build on a strong 2023 which included two runner-up finishes and five other top tens. “I felt like I played some good golf last season, particularly in the first part of the year, so hopefully I can do that again next year. I can’t wait to see everybody in Ras Al Khaimah and Bahrain,” he said.

Two-time DP World Tour winner Smith is someone who knows the GCC well, having won the Challenge Tour’s Ras Al Khaimah Golf Challenge at Al Hamra Golf Club back in 2016. “That victory in 2016 effectively secured the number one spot on the Challenge Tour Rankings for me, so I’ll always enjoy going back to Al Hamra,” said Smith. “This event, in addition to Bahrain, will be a really fun part of the schedule and I’m looking forward to getting out there.”

There are five Global Swings in the first part of the season, with the International Swing running from January to March. Each Swing will have its own identity and its own Champion who will each earn $200,000 from an overall $1million Bonus Pool. Swing Champions will also qualify for each of the ‘Back 9’ events later in the season.