ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Organizers of the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship say HSBC has taken over sponsorship of the event, boosting prize money by $500,000 to $2.7 million.
The increased purse bucks a trend in the United Arab Emirates, which has seen prize money take a hit because of the global economic downturn. The Dubai World Championship has cut its prize money by 25 percent to $7.5 million.
Organizers expect that five of the world’s top 10 golfers will compete at Abu Dhabi Golf Club from Jan. 20-23. They confirmed Wednesday that last year’s winner, Martin Kaymer, will play, along with a pair of Englishmen in Paul Casey and Lee Westwood.
