Rolex Pro Am to kick start the greatest show on Earth the Dubai World Championship

To be staged from Thursday (December 8) under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Sports Council, the Dubai World Championship presented by DP World will see the eyes of the sporting planet focus on a two man battle for supremacy.

World Number One Luke Donald has enjoyed a stellar year at the front of the field but he faces a major test with US Open Champion Rory McIlroy – the World Number Two – breathing down his neck following his stunning win at last weekend’s UBS Hong Kong Open.

Donald remains the favourite to end the season as the first player in history to win the money orders in both Europe and America but McIlroy is in superb form and he heads into his 100th European Tour event knowing that victory coupled with a Donald finish outside the top nine in the Dubai World Championship would give him The Race to Dubai title.

The top two in the Official World Golf Rankings will be joined by a powerful field including World Number Three and 2009 Dubai World Championship and Race to Dubai winner Lee Westwood as well as the man currently ranked fourth in the world and last year’s Race to Dubai champion Martin Kaymer.

Add in defending Dubai World Champion Robert Karlsson – the 2008 European Number One – as well as 2011 Major champions Darren Clarke and Charl Schwartzel and you have arguably the strongest field for any European Tour event staged in the Middle East.

But before the last lap of this year’s Race to Dubai begins on Thursday (Dec 8), the final week of The European Tour season gets underway today (Tuesday) with the Rolex Pro-Am as 36 teams compete with the biggest names in golf joining forces with event sponsors and their invitees. Among them are UAE National Champion Abdulla Al Mosharrekh – an invitee of DP World – Luckiest Ball on Earth winner Kevin Barrett and Dubai World Championship Ultimate Challenge winner Micky Mirza who will team up with Italian Ryder Cup star Edoardo Molinari.

Other UAE players joining forces with the stars are Khalid Al Halyan who will play alongside Italian teen Matteo Manassero, Abdullah Saeed Al Naboodah who has big hitting Dubai Desert Classic champion Alvaro Quiros in his Al Naboodah 1 team and Tariq and Ahmed Al Sowaidi who will enjoy the company of another Italian Ryder Cup star Francesco Molinari.

Elsewhere, the reigning World Under-14 champion Dominic Foos of France will showcase his extraordinary talent alongside compatriot Thomas Levet.

For the professionals, it’s a chance to size up the unique challenge of the 7,675-yard Greg Norman-designed Earth course, while for the amateurs a day playing shoulder-to-shoulder with the best in the game over a world-class course in tournament condition is a moment never to be forgotten.

Last year’s Rolex Pro-Am saw victory go to the BMW team and they will be looking to retain their title on a day when the sponsors and their invites battle it for bragging rights at the Greatest Show on Earth.