Pádraig Harrington confirmed for Abu Dhabi field

Pádraig Harrington 

European Ryder Cup captain Pádraig Harrington will play in this month’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship — the first Rolex Series event of the 2021 Race to Dubai season.

The Dubliner joins Major champions Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Martin Kaymer, Shane Lowry, Graeme McDowell, Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson, and Danny Willett in the world-class field, as the prestigious tournament restarts the European Points List for players targeting qualification at this year’s Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.

World Number 10 Tyrrell Hatton and 2020 DP World Tour Championship champion Matthew Fitzpatrick are the latest international stars confirmed to tee it up in the United Arab Emirates, alongside Ryder Cup heroes Tommy Fleetwood, Ian Poulter, victorious 2018 European Captain Thomas Bjørn, and defending champion Lee Westwood.

The qualification process for the Ryder Cup resumed with the World Points List at the Sentry Tournament of Champions on the PGA Tour last week, while next week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship will restart the European Points List. 

“I’m excited to return to competitive golf at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship,” said Harrington. 

“It’s obviously a tournament which has always been incredibly important to the European Tour, especially now forming part of the Rolex Series, so there is no better place for us to restart qualification for our European Points List as players vie to represent Team Europe at The Ryder Cup.” 

The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship runs from January 21-24.