Appleby to line up for Qatar Masters

The ‘King of Kapalua’ may be chasing his fourth straight Mercedes-Benz title in Hawaii this week but there’s a less familiar trophy in Stuart Appleby’s sights in the shape of the 2007 Commercialbank Qatar Masters.

The 35 year-old Australian, currently aiming to emulate Tiger Woods’ feat of winning a PGA Tour event four years in a row, has added his signature to the growing list of superstars heading to the Doha Golf Club from January 25-28.

Securing the services of Appleby, who is a regular feature on the US PGA Tour but highly selective about his international appearances, is a massive bonus for the $2.2 million Qatar event and underlines its growing international reputation. For Appleby, it’s a first date in the Middle East and a crack at landing a title sanctioned by both the PGA European Tour and the Asian Tour.

“Winning a US PGA Tour title three years in a row is a wonderful achievement and we wish Stuart a successful tournament in Hawaii before he joins us for the first time here at the Doha Golf Club,” said Qatar Golf Association (QGA) President Hassan Al Nuami.

Al Nuami’s words were echoed by Andrew Stevens, Group CEO of the Commercialbank of Qatar, the tournament’s title sponsors and driving force in attracting the likes of Ernie Els, Chris DiMarco, Retief Goosen, Sergio Garcia and now Stuart Appleby.

“I think people not only throughout the Middle East but further afield will look at the field for the Commercialbank Qatar Masters and be truly impressed by the player line-up,” he said.

“The Gulf’s fairways and greens are attracting the cream of the world game and we believe that in Doha we will have one of the strongest fields ever seen in the region. We certainly look forward to giving Stuart Appleby a traditional and warm Qatari welcome. And with entrance to the tournament being completely free of charge, we expect a large turnout to see the big names in action.”

The winner of eight PGA Tour titles, the 2001 Australian Open and over $20 million in prize-money, Appleby is a hugely popular player in his native Australia. A former Aussie Rules Football player, he was raised on a dairy farm, where he used to hit golf shots from paddock to paddock once his chores were completed.

Today, he is a regular figure at the top of leaderboards and in 2006 won twice on Tour and finished in the top ten (eighth) on the money list, both firsts in his eleven-year PGA Tour career. He has also competed in all 22 official World Golf Championship (WGC) events, more than any other player since the series started in 1999.

January 4, 2007

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