In Pictures | Expect The Unexpected: HSBC Golf Championships

“To find a man’s true character, play golf with him.” P.G. Wodehouse

The strap line for this year’s HSBC Abu Dhabi Golf Championships, its 10th Anniversary was ‘Expect the Unexpected‘ and the unexpected is definitely what happened! With four hole-in-ones, a three-time champion who had an incredible (some thought unbeatable lead on the last day) ending up in third place, a near play off to decide the overall champion and a rookie twenty-two year first time winner, Gary Stal (ranked 357 in the world) swooping in to claim victory and the coveted Falcon trophy, who knew golf could be so exciting!!

The venue was the same, the Abu Dhabi Golf club with its striking Falcon shaped clubhouse, the main sponsor, HSBC was also the same (hooray for that with the magnificent 17th Hole HSBC free bar), the Golf Village looked identical and the weather was bright and sunny for the duration, only the course was different having been updated for the 2015 event. One hundred and twenty six golfers from twenty-six countries took part in the event and I went for three of the four days maximising the HSBC hospitality and enjoying the action with a variety of friends and family members and here’s a little taste of the action.