Steely Rellon Has Abu Dhabi Golf Championship In Sight
Abu Dhabi Golf Club’s Teaching Pro Clinches Uae Pga Qualifier With Stellar 68
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Release date: 12 December 2007
Amid blustery conditions on his home turf, a near-perfect, 4-under par round of 68 earned Ernie Rellon – Abu Dhabi Golf Club’s Teaching Professional – a place in the third annual, European PGA Tour sanctioned, Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, which runs from January 17-20th.

With 25 UAE PGA registered professionals – who all play off scratch handicaps at member golf clubs around the emirates – intent on claiming the solitary Championship berth, Rellon’s immaculate round guaranteed him the opportunity to compete for the ‘Falcon’ trophy.

“I’m so thrilled and excited, I’ve been dreaming of this since the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship first started in 2006,” said Rellon.

“I had a really solid round until my drive on the 17th - it’s a 265-yard drive to clear the water, and with the head-long wind, I ended up in the drink and eventually holed out for a double bogey. However, I held some good putts today, some critical distance putts too, and I managed to score six birdies.”
 

Rellon’s local knowledge could earn him the ‘Falcon.’
 

With the winner earning the chance to potentially tee-off in an Abu Dhabi Golf Championship field which includes defending champion Paul Casey; current world number six, Adam Scott; and seven, Padraig Harrington; Ryder Cup winners, Colin Montgomerie and Henrik Stenson; as well as England’s Luke Donald and Ian Poulter, the competition was fierce.

Rellon admitted the competition was likely to be even more challenging when the US$2million Championship – an initiative of the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority – hits the UAE capital in January.

“The field is shaping up and I’d love to be drawn with Adam Scott or Paul Casey – that would be unbelievable. Whoever I’m paired with, I’ll just concentrate on playing some good, steady golf in the first two rounds to make sure I last the whole weekend – every pros goal is to still be in with a chance after the cut.”

Tickets for the Championship remain at 2007 prices of AED 125 for a daily pass and AED 400 for a four-day pass though preferential rates of AED100 and AED300 respectively apply to UGA members. Children under 18 will be admitted free when accompanied by an adult. Car parking will be free during the Championship.

Tickets are available via the official website – www.abudhabigolfchampionship.com – online at www.timeouttickets.com and www.itptickets.com, via the ITP toll free hotline 800 4669 or for international clients, +971 4 210 8943 and at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club.

With all four days of the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship being covered on live TV and reaching a global audience of over 140 million in key global markets, the 2008 championship formally begins on Wednesday, January 16 with the Al-Masaood Pro-Am and Awards Gala when sponsors and their guests will play and socialise with some of the world’s best professionals.

The Abu Dhabi Golf Championship 2008 has attracted a high profile sponsorship line up including: Etihad Airways and Aldar as Diamond Sponsors; Etisalat, Standard Chartered Bank and Emirates Palace as Platinum Sponsors; Nissan, Airbus, Rolls Royce, Omega and Xerox as Gold Sponsors, Gulf News as Official Newspaper, Radio 2 as Official Radio Station, Middle East Golfer as Official Magazine, AME Info as Official Media Partner and Cutter & Buck as official merchandise.