The European Tour has confirmed next year’s Hong Kong Open will not be apart of the 2013 Race to Dubai schedule.
It will be the first occasion since event was co-sanctioned in 2001 with the Asian Tour the event won’t feature on the European schedule.
The 2013 Race to Dubai is set to conclude a fortnight earlier next year with the November 14th to 17th DP World Tour Championship, Dubai.
European Tour’s Keith Waters. (Photo – wwwg.golfbytourmiss.com)
The Hong Kong Open will still go ahead but in December next year and will then become a tournament counting on the 2014 European Tour season.
Keith Waters, Chief Operating Officer with the European Tour, indicated an announcement will be made at a later day on the date of next year’s Hong Kong Open.
Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez, who became the oldest winner of the European Tour in capturing the UBS Hong Kong Open, said: “It’s a pity the tournament is not going happen next year and not be a part of the 2013 Race to Dubai tour.
“Of course, I would love to come back here to Hong Kong next year and defend the tournament as part 2013 but then as it’s now going to be in the 2014 Tour then the important thing for me is that is still going to be a tournament.”
The full 2013 Race to Dubai schedule will be announcement next week in Dubai with two new countries appearing on the schedule in Bulgaria and Turkey while the Russian Open will return to the schedule for a first time in five years.
Bulgaria will play host in May to the Volvo World Match-Play Championship while the first-ever $US 7m Turkey Open will be staged from November 7th to 10th, 2013.
