By Kent Gray
In this dark era of tournament cancellations the world over, some of them terminal due to the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic, Dubai intends being a shining light for the women’s game when it stages its annual Ladies European Tour (LET) stop in November. Make that even more of a shining light.

Indeed, there will be more moon – and definitely more floodlighting – at the second edition of the OMEGA Dubai Moonlight Classic this year after feedback from players and fans following last year’s change to a Pro-Am format under lights.

In reality, the pros played as few as five of the 54 holes last May under floodlights on the Faldo and found it difficult transitioning between dusk and full darkness at Emirates Golf Club. There will be no such challenges for the 56 pros at the $285,000 event from November 4-6 – they will play two of the three rounds completely under the Faldo’s LED lights.

“The Moonlight Classic was a new initiative last year which was day-night golf. After last year’s inaugural event, we got feedback from the players, feedback from the sponsors and we felt the night elements were good but there wasn’t enough of it,” said tournament director Simon Corkill.

“We’ve got a great concept, great golf course, the Faldo course under lights, let’s really maximise it and tell that story for Dubai. There aren’t many places you can play championship golf under lights on such a wonderful golf course.”

The shift from May to November and to later tee times – alternating 11.30am and 5.30pm shotgun starts in rounds one and two and the final round fully under lights – won’t be the only noticeable change to the Moonlight Classic.

Corkill and the team from Falcon and Associates want the LET event to be a conduit to golf for non-golfers and are introducing a food market as one way to achieve that remit.

“We looked at the event last year and thought, alright, if we are going to really change to a night event, let’s create a reason for people to come to the golf club as well as for the golf,” Corkill said.

“Providing a location and also an activity for friends, family, couples, everyone, to decide to come to Emirates Golf Club, we need to create an attractive proposition so having a night food market, a music element, having a come and try golf experience, is imperative.”

The challenging closing hole on The Faldo course at Emirates Golf Club.

Corkill also hopes regular golfers will take the chance to watch a game with which they are more familiar, notwithstanding potential social distancing and probable health and safety restrictions likely to be in place during the three-day tournament.

“I think it is great to educate everyone in the game of golf and what is so fantastic about the ladies game is people can relate to it. I mean the guys are bombing it so far, you can’t relate to it. The women’s game is excellent and the women players are very accessible as well.”

Corkill is hopeful of having “the top players” from the LET as part of the “intimate” field come November and is also chasing a handful of LPGA Tour stars, pending any COVID-19 travel challenges.

“We’re trying to get two or three marquee players. One reason for the change to the November date is that it is against the LPGA in Japan which is a limited field so we hope to get two to three players, whether they are the top Europeans who play on the LPGA Tour or Americans, we’re certainly looking to get some key, marquee players to headline the event.”

The 13th edition of Dubai’s annual LET stop enjoyed a grandstand finish last May with Spaniard Nuria Iturrios (pictured below) edging Germans Olivia Cowan and Esther Henesleit by a stroke to become the first nighttime winner.