Top stars to vie for Abu Dhabi Golf Championship honours

Major winners Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas and 2020 Champion Lee Westwood will be vying for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship – the first Rolex Series tournament of the season - which starts on Thursday.

The household names are part of a star-studded line-up which includes previous winners Shane Lowry, and Tommy Fleetwood, as well as World No. 9 Tyrrell Hatton who will all battle it out at Abu Dhabi Golf Club to lift one of the most sought-after trophies on the European Tour.

The trio were also presented with a specially commissioned golf-themed cake to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the union of the UAE that is being celebrated throughout 2021.

The Falcon Trophy is made with hallmarked sterling silver and designed by Edward Asprey, Chairman of the iconic British luxury brand, Asprey of London and stands at approximately 29 inches (70 centimetres) tall.

“Last year I got off to a steady start, took the lead after the third round and then controlled the tournament from the front. It’s a prestigious title to win, it’s a big tournament, a Rolex event and everybody wants to get the year off to a fast start,” Westwood said.

“It’s a great tournament to start the year on and I think everybody likes coming out to Abu Dhabi to play golf in good conditions and it is such a great place to start the year off positively.”