Dubai World Championship News

Defending champion Karlsson set for fresh attack on the Dubai World Championship

With The Race to Dubai entering its final crucial weeks, Sweden’s Robert Karlsson knows it will take another monumental effort if he is to repeat his 2010 victory and successfully defend the end-of-season Dubai World Championship, presented by DP World.

The 2008 European Number One took time out from his busy playing schedule to make a whistle-stop visit to the host Earth course at Dubai’s Jumeirah Golf Estates – and the reigning champion admitted he will not be approaching the $7.5 event with any fixed game-plan.

“I’m trying not to look upon the event as the defending champion,” he said while on a 24-hour visit en route to Shanghai.

“For me, it’s a separate event and I’m starting from scratch again and while I’ll try and bring some of the good memories from last year I’ll try not to think too much about winning.”

Karlsson will be one of the 60 star players on display when the final leg of The Race to Dubai is staged at the Earth course from December 8-11. And while England’s World Number One Luke Donald – recent winner of the PGA Tour money list – enjoys a strong lead, the Swede believes there are more twists and turns ahead.

“I think Martin Kaymer had a big lead last year and it still went to the wire so it’s not over yet – there are a few big events coming up in places like Shanghai and Singapore so there are still chances to make up some ground,” he added.
“Winning The Race to Dubai is going to be very difficult as Luke is such a great player and playing so very well at the moment but I don’t think this course plays straight into his hands so if someone gets close over the coming weeks then it could get very interesting.”

During his visit to the Earth course, the 11-time European Tour winner hosted a golf clinic for senior management and VIP customers from title sponsors DP World before passing on some more tips and advice to UAE national team members Khalid Yousef, Abdulwahed Al Qasem and Ahmad Skaik.

Karlsson Dubai World Championship

Karlsson also learned about plans for the third staging of the end of season finale from Colin Smith, European Tour Director – International Business Development Middle East and Asia and Nick Tarratt, European Tour Director Middle East – Dubai Office, while Jumeirah Golf Estates General Manager Geoff Hunter provided an overview of the on course preparations and the over-seeding programme.

“Earth is a good course – you need to be straight off the tee as there are big deep bunkers on the sides of pretty much all the holes so you have to keep it in play to give yourself a chance of winning,” said the reigning champion.

“I had a great finish here last year and you can see from the world rankings of European Tour players and our performances in the Majors that The Race to Dubai has been good for the Tour. It’s always such a great feeling to be in the Dubai World Championship field. Having guaranteed prize money and no cut is a real bonus – I’m really looking forward to it and I think that’s the feeling of most of the players.”

Complimentary tickets to see Robert Karlsson and the rest of the world-class field at the 2011 Dubai World Championship presented by DP World and held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Sports Council

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