Looks Set to be Hot Event at CommercialBank Qatar Masters

Defending champion Karlsson will be back, World No. 1 Westwood and now European No. 1 and World No. 3 Martin Kaymer has confirmed he will join a world-class field when Doha Golf Club stages the 14th Commercialbank Qatar Masters, presented by Dolphin Energy from February 3-6.

The young German will be making his fourth appearance in Qatar and will have his eye on a third Middle East European Tour title following victories in Abu Dhabi in 2008 and 2010.

And the 26 year-old – who has stormed to the top of the world game since turning pro in 2005 – will be keen to master a course that continues to provide a major challenge.

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“Martin is arguably the greatest young talent in the world today and we look forward to congratulating him on becoming the new European Number One,” said Hassan Al Nuami, President of the Qatar Golf Association (QGA), organisers of the tournament in association with the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) and title sponsors Commercialbank.

“But while he has always done well in Abu Dhabi and Dubai where he has not finished outside of the top four on his last six visits, in Qatar he has yet to finish higher than 31st which once again emphasises the unique challenge of Doha Golf Club, a course we believe to be the toughest on the Desert Swing.”

Kaymer came into last year’s Commercialbank Qatar Masters fresh from victory in the UAE capital and went onto finish in 32nd place well behind eventual winner Robert Karlsson.

However, the Düsseldorf native – who spends most of the winter in Arizona– will start as one of the tournament favourites after a season that saw him win the coveted Race to Dubai and play a key role in the European team’s win in The Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor.

His second win in three years in Abu Dhabi propelled him to sixth in the world and set him on a journey that saw Kaymer claim top ten finishes in both The Masters and the US Open before he landed the first Major of his career by winning the US PGA Championship at Whistling Straits – only the second player from Germany to win one of golf’s Majors.

It was a remarkable purple patch for Kaymer who followed his US PGA win with victories at the KLM Open and the Alfred Dunhill Championship to take his title haul for the year to four – not including The Ryder Cup. “It was a fantastic year I think,” said Kaymer. “All of the goals I set for myself, for my career, everything happened in one year. To win The Race to Dubai, be European No. 1, to play The Ryder Cup and to win a Major.

“What would I like for 2011? I’d like to prove that I'm Europe's No. 1, take that challenge on again and win The Race to Dubai. It would be nice to win a Major again, preferably the British Open, our only major that we have in Europe. And I have never made a hole-in-one in my life…”

After such a remarkable season, Commercialbank Group CEO Andrew Stevens believes Kaymer can make an impression in Doha next month. “Martin’s record speaks for itself and I am sure he will be one of the main challengers in the Commercialbank Qatar Masters alongside our defending champion Robert Karlsson and World Number One Lee Westwood,” he said.