World No 1 Tiger Woods has committed to the new European Tour event the Turkish Airlines Open, and several other top 50 players are likely to follow.
Promoter Andrew ‘Chubby’ Chandler, the former manager of Rory McIlroy, unveiled the final plans for a 78-strong field playing for £4.75 million at the Colin Montgomerie designed Montgomerie Maxx Course at Antalya, and also the commitment of the World No 1 to compete.
The new event will form the penultimate leg of the European Tour’s four-event ‘Final Series’, and the only one of the four actually to be staged in Europe.
It runs from November 7-10, the week before the season-ending DP World Championship in Dubai.
The event follows the eight-man exhibition held on the PGA Sultan course at the same site last year, where Woods and McIlroy both played and Justin Rose emerged as the winner.
“I think it’s a significant move for the European Tour in days where it’s very difficult to find new tournaments and new sponsors,” said Chandler. “To have Turkish Airlines and Turkish Federation to come forward with this is great news.
“Tiger had a pretty good time last year. We almost based the tournament date with the European Tour around which week he could play, and it just so happened that this week suited both.”
Woods’ involvement was essential to the tournament sponsors and hosts, added Chandler.
“Turkey being a country of not that many golfers, I’m afraid that the other 77 players won’t be sort of familiar names to the Turkish people, whereas Tiger is. Mark Steinberg (the agent for Woods) was very accommodating.
“We managed to come to an arrangement pretty quickly, and obviously it makes the tournament, in terms of world ranking points, to have the world No 1 there.
“I think it always makes it a special win if a European can beat Tiger in a tournament of this stature, so it’s important.”
As for other top 10 players, Chandler said: “I’ve a feeling we might be quite lucky” as it would fulfil a 12th tournament for many of the statutory 13 required for European Tour membership and thereby Ryder Cup eligibility.
“There’s an exemption for the top 50, and right now we only know Tiger and Colin Montgomerie are playing. But I’ve a feeling speaking to people in the business that it could be a 12th of 13 for many, with Dubai the 13th,” continued Chandler.
“We’ve had inquiries from one or two other Americans in the past week, and it could be a way for many to take up European Tour membership. There’s four majors, four WGCs; the four in the Final Series takes you up close to the 13 needed.”
In addition there will be a global amateur competition run in cities throughout the world with the ultimate prize being a spot in the tournament pro-am playing with Woods.
This event is initially to be staged in 24 cities, but there is an intention to expand it to other locations where Turkish Airlines fly to, including Edinburgh.