Emirates® is currently Official Sponsor of 11 golf tournaments around the world.
Dubai Desert Classic
Emirates® has been the Official Carrier for the annual Dubai Desert Classic since 1989. The tournament promotes the best of professional golf by bringing the game's top names to Dubai for the Middle East swing of the European PGA tour. Emirates’ current deal includes sponsorship of the tournament from 2007 to 2010 which is played on the "Majlis" course at Emirates Golf Club.
Dubai Ladies Masters
Emirates® is the Official Airline for the 2007, 2008 and 2009 professional tournament that is played at the Emirates Golf Club. This Masters tournament carries a total purse of €500,000 and this is the first Ladies European Tour event to be held in the Middle East.
Malaysian Open
Proud sponsor Emirates® is the Official Airline of the 2007, 2008 and 2009 Maybank Malaysian Open, which is co-sanctioned by the PGA European and Asian Tours. This Malaysian Open is played at the Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club (KLGCC) and carries a total purse of US$1.25 million.
Hong Kong Open
The Hong Kong Open is a golf tournament which is co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the European Tour. Emirates® has renewed its contract as a tournament sponsor up until 2011.
BMW International Open
Emirates® has been the Official Airline for the BMW International Open which occurs annually at the Golfclub Muchen-Nord Eichenreid, on of the Bavarian capital’s top venues. Emirates® has supported the event since 2003 and will continue to do so through 2009. The event has hosted some of the top names in golf including the popular American John Daly and is always a highlight of the PGA European tour.
Austrian Open
As Official Airline for the tournament since 2006, Emirates® has seen the growth and expansion of one of the European Tour’s newest events. Now a fully sanctioned European Tour event with Colin Montgomerie as the event ambassador, the tournament has developed into one of the season’s most exciting tournaments. Hosted at the stunning Fontana Golf Club just outside of Vienna, the event offers Emirates® the opportunity to invite guests to play in the Pro Am and enjoy the spectacular hospitality setting. Emirates® has renewed its contract for a further three years until 2011.
Hero Honda Open
Emirates® has signed renewal for a further two years to sponsor The Hero Honda Indian Open taking place in the latter part of 2009. It is the oldest international golf tournament in India and is one of the major events in the Asian PGA Tour.
Australian PGA Championship
The Australian PGA Championship is the country’s oldest professional golf tournament and continues to enjoy Emirates’ support of great Australian and international sporting events. The event is part of the PGA Tour of Australasia and will be played at the Hyatt Regency Coolum, which boasts a superbly challenging and very beautiful 18 hole course. Emirates®, which began its association with the event as its Official Airline in December 2007, recently announced a contract extension until 2010.
Africa Open-South Africa
The Africa Open Golf Tournament, the newest gem on the Sunshine Tour, saw international stars like Angel Cabrera, Darren Clarke and Retief Goosen tee off for the first time in January 2009.
The four-day event, played at the highly-rated East London Golf Club, was kicked off with a Pro-Am on 14th January 2009.
In only its second year, the Africa Open is expected to attract a formidable field, and negotiations are well under way for the 2010 Africa Open to possibly be co-sanctioned by the European PGA Tour.
Emirates® was the Official Airline for the 2008 and 2009 events.
Volvo China Open
The Volvo China Open is a tri-sanctioned event and one of the biggest tournaments on the Asian Tour, as well as an official event on the European Tour. The tournament takes place every year in April. The 15th Volvo China Open golf tournament will be held at the Beijing CBD International Golf Club in April 2009. There has been a massive upsurge in the interest in golf in China and the Volvo China Open is now viewed as one the premier events on the Asian calendar.
The Volvo China Open is committed to developing golf in Asia. Every year the winner of the Volvo China Junior Championship is given full entry to the Volvo China Open. The 2008 Volvo China Open was won by Damien McGrane from Ireland; previous winners include Austrian Markus Brier, Paul Casey and Steven Dodd (both from UK).
Emirates® recently signed on as Official Airline for three years commencing in 2009.
HSBC Champions-Shanghai
The HSBC Champions is a men's professional golf 72-hole tournament contested annually since 2005 in November at the Sheshan Golf Club in Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
Invitations for the event, which is sanctioned by four—the European, the Asian, and Sunshine Tours and the PGA Tour of Australasia—of the six constituent tours of International Federation of PGA Tours, are issued to all players placed amongst the top fifty players in the Official World Golf Rankings. Also invited are players who have, during the calendar year preceding the event, captured at least one tournament title on a sanctioning tour, or have finished the preceding season amongst the top twenty in the European Tour's Order of Merit standings or amongst the top five in the Order of Merit standings of any of the other three sanctioning tours. Players who have finished first in the Order of Merit standings in any of three developmental tours—the Von Nida and Challenge Tours and the winter swing of the Sunshine Tour—are also invited. Starting berths are also reserved for eight Chinese amateur and professional players to be selected by tournament organizers and sponsors, whether by qualifying tournament or not.
Emirates® is the Official Airline for the event from 2009 to 2011.
Players
Full sponsorship of Ross Bain for the 2009 Asian Tour Season. Ross, a professional based in Dubai, is a product of the Dubai Junior Golf Development Programme and has participated in the Dubai Desert Classic on numerous occasions.
Dubai Golf
A three-year commitment with Dubai Golf includes the sponsorship of the Big 5-0, a celebrity charity event held bi-annually to raises money for the UK-based SPARKS Charity. The agreement with Dubai Golf as their Preferred Airline helps promote Emirates® internationally through all industry trade shows attended by Dubai Golf, as well as locally through both local and international branding opportunities.