Jordan Smith is looking forward to returning to a happy hunting ground next week when he tees it up in the inaugural Ras Al Khaimah Championship presented by Phoenix Capital.
Ras Al Khaimah hosted its first major professional sporting event when the European Challenge Tour visited the Emirate in 2016, with Smith walking away as champion at the Ras Al Khaimah Golf Challenge en route to being crowned that season’s Number One.
Next week’s tournament will mark the DP World Tour’s first visit to Ras Al Khaimah and Smith is one of several former Challenge Tour players who will be returning to the Peter Harradine-designed course at Al Hamra Golf Club.
“It’s a great course and not too far down the road from where we are this week in Dubai,” said the Englishman. “I’m looking forward to it. I have some great memories from winning there in 2016. It was my second win of the season and it was the week before the Grand Final in Oman and that helped me finish Number One that year.
“At the time it was all a bit of a blur, the main memory I have is the tap-in putt on the last to win. I’m looking forward to getting back out there and hopefully some of those good feelings will come back to me as I go around the course.”
Smith is one of 22 players returning to Al Hamra Golf Club after teeing it up at the venue on the Challenge Tour six years ago. He is also one of 13 players who have gone on to win on the DP World Tour since then, a list which includes Marcus Armitage, Ryan Fox, Guido Migliozzi and Thriston Lawrence, the first winner of the DP World Tour era in November at the Joburg Open.
In total, 31 competitors who have previously played in Ras Al Khaimah will be making their returns to the Emirate on the DP World Tour.
“I remember it being a great course,” added Smith. “It’ll be a really good test for us. I hope it’s in good condition and that it’ll be a great week for everyone.”
Joining Smith in the inaugural Ras Al Khaimah Championship presented by Phoenix Capital will be 2016 Masters Tournament champion Danny Willett, two-time Rolex Series winner Bernd Wiesberger, who made his Ryder Cup debut for Team Europe in September 2021, and the Højgaard twins, Nicolai and Rasmus. The Danes made history on the DP World Tour last year as they became the first pair of brothers to win in back-to-back weeks.
Also joining the field in Ras Al Khaimah are former Ryder Cup Captains Thomas Bjørn, who led Europe to victory at Le Golf National in 2018, eight-time European Number One Colin Montgomerie and three-time Major Champion Pádraig Harrington.
Tickets for the Ras Al Khaimah Championship presented by Phoenix Capital are free for all spectators through Ticketmaster. Click here to book.
