Forty six UAE based golfers over the Earth course Jumeirah Golf Estates for coveted place in the Rolex Pro Am

Forty-six UAE-based golfers will battle it out over the Earth course, Jumeirah Golf Estates today as they go in search of the final coveted place in the Rolex Pro-Am, curtain raiser for next month’s Dubai World Championship, presented by DP World.

The players have all qualified for the Grand Final of the Luckiest Ball on Earth competition, an event fully supported by the Emirates Golf Federation and organised in co-operation with the 17 EGF-affiliated clubs in the UAE.

Today they will take to the Earth course – venue for the grand finale of The Race to Dubai on December 8-11 – with only one player guaranteed a slot in the $15m tournament’s star-studded Rolex Pro-Am on Tuesday, December 6.

“We are delighted to welcome the finalists to the Earth course for what is sure to be a keenly contested Grand Final,” said Colin Smith, European Tour Director – International Business Development Middle East and Asia.

“The players reached this stage by either winning their October Monthly Medal, finishing in the top three gross in the UAE National Championship or by simply being one of the few fortunate competitors to discover one of our ‘special’ Luckiest Balls, which were placed on the driving ranges prior to each qualifying tournament.

“On behalf of the Dubai World Championship presented by DP World and The Race to Dubai, we wish every player the best of luck in the Grand Final.”

The Grand Final gets underway at 11am at the same host venue for the Dubai World Championship presented by DP World, which will feature the top 60 players on The Race to Dubai.

It means the winner of today’s Luckiest Ball on Earth Grand Final will tee up alongside stars such as the top three players in the Official World Golf Ranking – Luke Donald, Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood – as well as Major winners Darren Clarke, Charl Schwartzel, Martin Kaymer and Graeme McDowell.

The Rolex Pro-Am will get underway just 48 hours before the top 60 compete for $7.5 million in prize-money as well as a Bonus Pool of $7.5 million to be shared by the final top 15 in The Race to Dubai.

Last year’s Dubai World Championship winner Robert Karlsson will be back to defend his title, while Martin Kaymer – the current World Number Four – will be looking to end the season in style after winning The Race to Dubai in 2010.