2009-11-15 14:38:35
WAM Abu Dhabi, Nov 15th, 2009 (WAM) -- As the cream of junior golfers from Great Britain and Ireland prepare for the 2009 Abu Dhabi Junior Golf Championship (ADJGC), presented by The Daily Telegraph, one of the world's top professional golfers has credited the tournament as being the springboard for his own success.

Justin Rose, who took the boy's title in 1997 and went on to be Best Rookie in the 2008 Ryder Cup, says the championship set him up on the road to worldwide fame.

"It was a great feeling to beat some of the best junior players around," the 29-year-old professional says of the ADJGC. "Winning is great for your confidence and this victory helped me gain valuable experience and continue believing in myself." Indeed, this confidence stunned the golf world the following year when Rose, by now a 17-year-old amateur player, birdied the 18th at Royal Birkdale to seal joint fourth place in the Open Championship, one of the sport's four Majors.

This year, the ADJGC will be played at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club's National Course from November 27 to 29 and features the best under-18 golfers from the British Isles. A field of over 40,000 who began the tournament earlier this year has now been whittled down to 21 juniors, including one UAE resident.

Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) is the headline sponsor of the event. Its involvement is part of its strategy to market the emirate as a premier golfing destination with world-class facilities. These will include brand new courses on Yas Island and Saadiyat Island, as well as an expanded course in Al Ain.

Rose believes that the emirate has a great future as its golf facilities continue to expand.

"Abu Dhabi offers fantastic conditions to play in," he said and added that "With superb facilities and great amenities for families and players, it may be a relative newcomer to the sport but it brings a great deal to the table.

"I think that it is a very positive step for Abu Dhabi to now be involved with the Junior Golf Championship. It is a great spot to play golf with excellent weather virtually guaranteed. And juniors always enjoy playing on courses where the Tour visits." ADJGC comes as the emirate gears up for the fifth PGA European Tour-backed Abu Dhabi Golf Championship which takes place at Abu Dhabi Golf Club in January.

"By backing the junior tournament we are looking to nurture golfing talent which we hope we will one day welcome back to contest the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship's Falcon Trophy," said Ahmed Hussein, Deputy Director General, ADTA.

WAM/ESRAA/AMIR