Zimpapers Logo

Takudzwa Chitsiga

Sports Reporter

TOP Zimbabwean professional golfer Scott Vincent will miss out of the opening European Tour event, the 2021 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, which tees off at Abu Dhabi Golf Club in the United Arab Emirates today.

Vincent will not be part of the first event of the new season headlined by a star-studded field, which includes defending champion and reigning European Number One Lee Westwood, who is aiming to emulate Tommy Fleetwood in lifting the trophy in back-to-back seasons.

Having played in the Bandar Malaysia Open last week where he finished tied on position 26, Vincent has two tournaments to his credit and is sitting on position 45 on the Asian Tour order of merit after accumulating US$14 770 in earnings.

Martin Kaymer (2008, 2010, 2011) is the only three-time winner of the event, and he is one of nine Major winners in the field, alongside Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Shane Lowry, Graeme McDowell, Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson, Danny Willett and European Ryder Cup captain Pádraig Harrington.

Joining them are the likes of World No.9 Tyrrell Hatton, DP World Tour Championship winner Matthew Fitzpatrick and Christiaan Bezuidenhout, who closed out the end of 2019 with back-to-back victories in South Africa before a top 15 in Dubai.

The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship is one of four premium Rolex Series events which underpin the 2021 season.

Held over Abu Dhabi GC, the tournament has the distinction of being the first Rolex Series event for the third consecutive season, after being elevated to Rolex Series status in 2019.

The former Chapman Golf Club player Vincent has been enjoying a fine run in the European Tour as he last played in South Africa’s Sunshine Tour.

Meanwhile, professional golfer Clive Nguru (senior) passed away on Sunday after battling cancer.