Thursday 25 / April / 2024
Muscat: The start of International Series Oman was marked with a ceremonial tee shot at the Greg Norman-designed Championship golf course, Al Mouj Golf, welcoming local dignitaries to celebrate its Middle Eastern debut and first of 10 International Series events on the Asian Tour in 2023.
Hosted at Al Mouj Golf and led by Asian Tour CEO Cho Minn Thant and Chairman of Oman Golf Committee Mundhir Al Barwani, the tee-off took place on the first hole of the oceanfront course, as several local VIPs gathered to witness the Asian Tour breaking ground in the Middle East for the first time. The event was held under the patronage of Lujaina Mohsin Darwish, Chairperson of Mohsin Haider Darwish and a member of the Board of Directors at Oman Olympic Committee.
Ahead of the elevated series taking place in the Sultanate for the first time Al Mouj Golf, CEO Nasser Al Sheibani welcomed this event, saying, “We are proud to host the season-opener event of The International Series 2023 on the Asian Tour, here at the championship course of Al Mouj Golf. It’s fantastic to welcome so many local dignitaries alongside the world-class field that’s been assembled. The International Series promises to promote the country across continents, elevating the competitive experience for players on the Asian Tour and it once again highlights Oman as a unique venue on the world golf stage.”
The impressive 132-player field ready to tee it up this week includes golfers from 23 countries across 6 continents, headlined by Brooks Koepka, Sergio Garcia, Graeme McDowell, Louis Oosthuizen, Joaquin Niemann and Charl Schwartzel, all competing on the oceanfront course for their share in a total prize fund of $2 million.
Ahead of the tournament, Four-time Major Champion, Brooks Koepka, spoke about the condition of the golf course and said, “I have only been here for the past day or so but it is a beautiful golf course and the hospitality from the Omani people has been amazing. That stretch of holes by the water is amazing and I’m looking forward to seeing the challenge the course has to offer on Thursday when the tournament starts.”
Graeme McDowell commented on playing in the Sultanate for the first time and said, “I’ve played a lot of golf in the Middle East for the last 20 years and it’s always amazing to come to new places. I like what I see so far, it’s a beautiful country with great facilities and a great golf course this week and I’m looking forward to competing this weekend.”
Al Mouj Golf has now received 23 International Awards and welcomes 16,000 golfers and 35,000 guests annually, with many more expected as part of this latest tournament. The course is a key asset of Al Mouj Muscat, the Sultanate’s leading leisure and lifestyle destination, and a joint venture between Majid Al Futtaim Properties, Omran, and Tanmia. As Oman’s first Integrated Tourism Complex Al Mouj Muscat has delivered a significant socio-economic impact on job creation, development, foreign direct investment and growth in the number of SMEs as well as across the tourism sector.
