Thomas Bjørn will tee it up as the DP World Tour makes its long-awaited return to the Kingdom of Bahrain for the Bahrain Championship from February 1-4, 2024

The tournament, which will be held under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, will mark the DP World Tour’s first visit to the Kingdom since 2011 and forms part of the International Swing on the 2024 Race to Dubai.

Former Ryder Cup Captain Bjørn, who is Denmark’s most successful golfer of all-time with 15 DP World Tour wins to his name, will return to the Kingdom for the first time in 13 years, since he finished in a tie for 44th at the Volvo Golf Champions.

“I am looking forward to returning to Bahrain in February and seeing how the country has changed since my last visit almost 13 years ago,” said Bjørn, who has twice enjoyed success here in the Middle East with victories in the 2001 Dubai Desert Classic and the 2011 Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.

“The beauty of the DP World Tour is we get to visit so many interesting places and help bring golf to new audiences, and I am thrilled to help to achieve that with the Bahrain Championship.

“I would like to thank His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa for welcoming us to his Kingdom and I can’t wait to visit early next year.”

With just over 50 days to go until the eagerly-anticipated event, which has a prize fund of US$2.5 million, the Royal Golf Club course has undergone extensive upgrades, supported by Osool Asset Management and Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company (Mumtalakat), the sovereign wealth fund of the Kingdom of Bahrain, headed by His Excellency Sheikh Abdulla bin Khalifa Al Khalifa.

Among the key enhancements is the upgrading of a number of greens on the front nine to ensure it is in prime condition to welcome the elite stars of the DP World Tour.

Freddie Schmeisser, Championship Director of the Bahrain Championship, said: “We are looking forward to returning to the Kingdom of Bahrain next year as part of the DP World Tour’s International Swing and excitement is now building and Thomas committing to play.

“Royal Golf Club is a fitting venue for the Bahrain Championship and will be a great day out for all the family, with world class golf and a host of off-course activities.”

The Bahrain Championship will be one of four events in the Middle East as part of the new International Swing on the revamped 2024 Race to Dubai.

The tournament follows the inaugural Dubai Invitational, the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, the first Rolex Series event of the season, and the Ras Al Khaimah Championship.

There are five Global Swings in the first part of the season, with the International Swing running from January to March. Each Swing will have its own identity and its own Champion who will each earn $200,000 from an overall $1million Bonus Pool. Swing Champions will also qualify for each of the ‘Back 9’ events later in the season.

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