Cantlay and Li to compete at Abu Dhabi Golf Championship

Presidents Cup rivals, Patrick Cantlay and Haotong Li become the latest international icons to confirm their appearance at the 15th edition of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by EGA.

Taking place between Jan.16-19, tournament is the first of eight Rolex Series events on the 2020 European Tour International schedule.

Cantlay, a former World Number One ranked amateur golfer, has soared into the World’s Top 10, having claimed two high-profile victories in 2018 and 2019 respectively.

The Presidents Cup debutant, who holds the accolade of being the first player since Tiger Woods to reach the Tour Championship in 12 or fewer events, will be eager to prove his prowess in Abu Dhabi against a line-up of proven champions that includes World Number One Brooks Koepka, the two-time winner Tommy Fleetwood and defending champion Shane Lowry.

Li, who will be making his third consecutive appearance at the tournament, will be determined to put in an improved display at the 2020 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by the EGA, having missed the cut in his last two visits to the prestigious Abu Dhabi Golf Club.

Li, the first male Chinese golfer to break into the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking, will be hoping to continue his record-breaking form and become the first man from China to lift the iconic Falcon Trophy.

Cantlay, current world number seven, commented: “I’m very excited to play for the first time in Abu Dhabi. I’ve heard great things about the course, the fans and the experience as a whole. With a such a strong field this year, I’m looking forward to competing against some of the best players in the world and to try and take home the Falcon Trophy.”

Li, two-time European Tour winner, said: “The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by EGA is a tournament I love playing in. It is a great way to kick-off the New Year and, this year I’m looking to make it to the weekend and get myself in a position to make a run come Sunday afternoon. Even though we’ve only just finished the season in Australia, I can’t wait to see everyone again in January and get started on 2020 in Abu Dhabi.”

Aref Al Awani, General Secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, said: “Patrick is one of the most talented young players on Tour today and we are delighted to welcome him to Abu Dhabi for the first time.

Haotong is also an outstanding player and is an amazing ambassador for Chinese golf. They were both key players at last week’s Presidents Cup and I am sure they will be equally as competitive come January.”

Abdulfattah Sharaf, CEO of HSBC UAE said: “The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by EGA is one of golf’s premium tournaments with an unwavering ability to attract the best players from around the globe. The event plays a vital role in shaping the future of golf in the region and inspiring the next generation of world greats.  We are thrilled to welcome Patrick Cantlay to the UAE for the first time.  Haotong Li is a graduate of our CGA-HSBC China Junior Golf Program and has been an inspiration to many Chinese junior golfers – we are delighted to see him make his return to Abu Dhabi in January.”  

First staged in 2006, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by EGA is being hosted at the iconic Abu Dhabi Golf Club for the 15th consecutive year from Thursday, Jan.16 to Sunday, Jan.19.

As part of the prestigious Rolex Series, the tournament offers a prize fund of S$7 million and is one of the landmark tournaments on The European Tour.