China will be the big winner when the 2012 Race to Dubai schedule is released on Monday by the European Tour.
The full schedule was supposed to be released last week but a ‘computer glitch’ meant the Tour having to pull what was up on the screen and instead reboot the entry on Monday.
China, as was the scenario this year, will host three Race to Dubai events in 2012:-
Volvo China Open, Tainjin (Apl 19 to 22)
BMW hosted event TBC and probably either the BMW Shanghai Masters or BMW Asian Open (Oct 25 to 28)
WGC – HSBC Champions event, Mission Hills, Shenzhen.
The decision to move the HSBC Champions is a surprise given it has only ever been staged at Sheshan in Shanghai since the staging of the inaugural event in 2005.
Also a decision, if correct, to stage two events the same week twice next year will not go down all that well with sponsors.
The Andalucia Masters is set to be staged from October 18 to 21 and the same week as the new Perth International Golf Championship in Western Australia.
As well, this new BMW hosted event being held a week later will be the same week as the Sergio Garcia hosted Castellon Masters.
The continuing disappointment that apart from the BMW PGA and The Open there is no other event in England whereas Spain will again host the majority of Race to Dubai events on the Continent.
Spain will host six events in 2012.
THE 2012 RACE TO DUBAI SCHEDULE (Barring a computer glitch) is:
Jan 5-8 Africa Open, East London GC, East London, South Africa €1m.
Jan 12-15 Joburg Open, Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club, Johannesburg, South Africa Euro €1.3m.
Jan 19-22 Volvo Golf Champions, The Links at Fancourt, George, South Africa €2m.
Jan 26-29 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, Abu Dhabi Golf Club, Abu Dhabi, UAE $US 2.7m.
Feb 2-5 Commercialbank Qatar Masters, Doha GC, Doha, Qatar $US 2.7m
Feb 9-12 Omega Dubai Desert Classic, Emirates GC, Dubai, United Arab Emirates $US 2.5m.
Feb 16-19 Avantha Masters, DLF Golf and Country Club, New Delhi, India €1.8m.
Feb 22-26 WGC – Accenture Match Play Championship, Dove Mountain, Marana, USA $US 8.5m.
Mar 8-11 WGC – Cadillac Championship, Doral Golf Resort & Spa, Florida, USA $8.5m
Mar 15-18 Open de Andalucia de Golf, TBC, TBC, Spain
Mar 22-25 Trophée Hassan II, Golf du Palais Royal, Agadir, Morocco €1.5m
Mar 29-Apr 1 Sicilian Open, Verdura Golf & Spa Resort, Sciacca, Italy €1.5m.
Apr 5-8 Masters, Augusta National, Georgia, USA
Apr 12-15 Maybank Malaysian Open, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia $2.5m.
Apr 19-22 Volvo China Open, Binhai Lake GC, Tianjin, China RMB20m.
Apr 26-29 Ballantine’s Championship, Blackstone GC, Icheon, Seoul, Korea Republic €2.25m.
May 3-6 Open de España, Real Club de Golf de Sevilla, Seville, Spain €2m.
May 10-13 TBC (But most certainly Majorca event).
May 17-20 Volvo World Match Play Championship, Finca Cortesin GC, Spain €3.4m
May 17-20 Madeira Islands Open, Santo da Serra, Madeira, Portugal
May 24-27 BMW PGA, Wentworth Club, Surrey, England €4.5m.
May 31-June 3 ISPS Handa Wales Open, The Celtic Manor Resort, Wales €1.8m.
Jun 6-9 Nordea Masters, Bro Hof Slott GC, Stockholm, Sweden €1.5m.
Jun 14-17 U.S. Open, Olympic Club, San Francisco, USA
Jun 14-17 Saint Omer Open, Saint Omer GC, Lumbres, France €500,000
Jun 21-24 BMW International Open, Golf Club Gut Lärchenhof, Cologne, Germany
Jun 28-July 1 Irish Open Presented by Discover Ireland, Venue TBA, Republic of Ireland
Jul 5-8 Alstom Open de France Le Golf National, Paris, France
Jul 12-15 Scottish Open, Castle Stuart Golf Links, Inverness, Scotland
Jul 19-22 141st Open Championship, Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club, England
Jul 26-29 Austrian Golf Open, Diamond Country Club, Atzenbrugg, Austria
Aug 2-5 WGC – Bridgestone Invitational, Firestone CC, Akron, Ohio, USA
Aug 9-12 U.S. PGA, Kiawah Island Golf Resort, South Carolina, USA
Aug 16-19 Czech Open, Prosper Golf Resort, Čeladná, Czech Republic
Aug 23-26 Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles, Perthshire, Scotland
Aug 30-Sep 2 Omega European Masters, Crans-sur-Sierre, Switzerland
Sep 6-9 KLM Open, Hilversumsche GC, Hilversum, Netherlands
Sep 13-16 Italian Open, Royal Park I Roveri, Turin, Italy
Sep 20-23 Bankia Madrid Masters, TBC, TBC, Spain
Sep 27-30 The Ryder Cup, Medinah Country Club, Illinois, USA
Oct 4-7 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, Scotland.
Oct 11-14 Portugal Masters,Vilamoura, Portugal
Oct 18-21 Andalucia Masters, TBC, TBC, Spain
Oct 18-21 Perth International Golf Championship, Lake Karrinyup CC, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Oct 25-28 BMW China Event, TBC, TBC, China (Either Shanghai Masters or Asian Open).
Oct 25-28 Castello Masters Costa Azahar, Club de Campo del Mediterráneo, Castellón, Valencia, Spain
Nov 1-4 WGC – HSBC Champions, Mission Hills GC, Shenzhen, China
Nov 8-11 Barclays Singapore Open, Sentosa GC, Singapore
Nov 15-18 Hong Kong Open, Hong Kong GC, Fanling, Hong Kong
Nov 22-25 DP World Tour Championship, Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai, UAE
Dec 6-9 Alfred Dunhill Championship (Date TBC) Leopard Creek CC, Malelane, South Africa
Dec 13-16 South African Open Championship (Date TBC) Serengeti Golf Club, Ekurhuleni, South Africa
