Georgia Hall, Mel Reid, Catriona Matthew and Cheyenne Woods confirmed to appear at Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open
Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open (FBMLO), which gets underway at the iconic Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, in Abu Dhabi in just under two weeks’ time. This year’s edition will attract thousands of visitors, and spectators will be particularly thrilled by the news that top golfing talent Georgia Hall, Mel Reid, Catriona Matthew and Cheyenne Woods are all confirmed to appear at this year’s tournament, along with already confirmed Beth Allen, last year’s inaugural winner. Over the four-day period, 126 players will compete for a total prize purse of $550,000.
Held for the second year running under the patronage of the Mother of the Nation, Her Highness Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, and renowned as being one of Abu Dhabi’s top sporting and family events, this year’s tournament will take place from Wednesday 1st November through to Saturday 4th November.
Two players who came close to victory last year, Georgia Hall and Mel Reid, will be looking to go one better at this year’s tournament. Georgia’s ascent to the top of ladies golf has been rapid since turning professional three years ago. She featured in Europe’s Solheim Cup team in August, and has been a prominent figure on the LET tour this year and is full of confidence with six top-10 finishes from eight appearances. Looking ahead to this year’s FBMLO, Georgia said:
“I’m looking forward to playing the course and playing some great golf. I’d love to have a good result after a really strong finish in my first-ever FBMLO tournament last year. I know the girls think the course is absolutely lovely and as always there is a fantastic field – we can’t wait to get going”
Hall’s English compatriot Mel Reid has also shown great form this year, winning the LET season opener at Oates Vic Open in Australia, and can’t wait to return to Abu Dhabi. Hall and Reid are joined by their Solheim Cup team-mates Florentyna Parker and Emily Kristine Pedersen, as well as vice-captain Catriona Matthew, previous Women’s British Open winner and LET player of the year, recently appointed as Team Europe captain for the 2019 Solheim Cup, and making her debut appearance at the FBMLO. Adding to the International flavour, South Africa’s Lee-Ann Pane will also be making her debut appearance and India’s Aditi Ashok will return to Abu Dhabi.
Matthew can’t wait to make her debut: “I’ve had a great year so far- I was Vice-Captain of Team Europe, which was followed by a last minute playing positon on the team, and then when I didn’t think it could get any better, I was honoured with the captaincy for the Solheim 2019 event. I’m really looking forward to topping off this great year in Abu Dhabi and hopefully this positivity will continue in the same vein at this year’s FBMLO.”
Abu Dhabi will once again welcome another stunning line-up of the world’s best female golf professionals, with Cheyenne Woods also making her first appearances in Abu Dhabi. Recognised by legions of golf fans around the world, Cheyenne is the niece of golfing icon Tiger Woods. She debuted on the LET in 2013, recording five top-25 finishes. Cheyenne continued her hot play into 2014, where she broke through for her first career victory at the 2014 Volvik RACV Ladies Masters in Australia.
H.E. Aref Al Awani, General Secretary at Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC), said: “I am really pleased with the quality of the entry in this year’s tournament and I am looking forward to seeing a strong international presence for the second year running. We have increased the prize money on offer this year and as such we feel that we have an even higher quality of entries for the 2017 edition. As such, the FBMLO continues to feature on the global agenda as one of the most important stages for female golfers, which further underlines Abu Dhabi’s position as a global sports destination.”
The Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy (FBMA) partners with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC) to oversee the tournament and ensure that sports, including golf, become embedded in local culture. The importance of having a family focused offering at this year’s tournament further highlights FBMA’s strategic vision towards youth, as described by Dr. Mai Al Jaber, Board Member of the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Academy. “I believe that by making the tournament so enticing for families to attend, the next generation of young girls can be inspired to take up the game. Introducing youth to sports in a fun and exciting environment, often yields further interest and encourages long-term participation from a young age”, Dr. Al Jaber added.
The Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open is open to the public to attend and runs from Wednesday, 1st November to Saturday, 4th November, 2017 at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club.
