This Week in Golf: Clutch Pro Tour tees off in UAE as global golf action heats up
The Clutch Pro Tour makes its highly anticipated UAE debut this week with the UAE Championship at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club. Running from Tuesday, March 18 to Thursday, March 20, 2025.
Tthe tournament offers a £50,000 prize fund (approx AED 238,000) and a golden opportunity for the winner who will earn an invite to next month's HotelPlanner Tour event (formerly the Challenge Tour), also in Al Ain.
As a tour aligned with the Emirates Golf Federation (EGF), the Clutch Pro Tour continues to strengthen pathways for rising talent, providing a crucial stepping stone for golfers with big aspirations.
Spotlight on the PGA Tour
Over in the U.S., the PGA Tour heads to Palm Harbor, Florida, for the Valspar Championship at Innisbrook Resort's Copperhead Course.
Quick question - how many of us know what Valspar does as a business?
I'll admit, after years of following this event, I only recently discovered they sell paint. Yes, paint!
Valspar has been the title sponsor since 2013 - 12 years of branding, yet I wonder how many fans truly connect the name to its industry. It raises an interesting point:
How well do title sponsors in golf—and other sports—engage with audiences beyond their core B2B market.
Could they do more? Should tournament promoters and broadcasters help strengthen the connection? Or is it enough for sponsors to focus on their corporate hospitality and programs?
Maybe I'm overthinking it. After all, I'm just a sportswriter, not a sports promoter!
The Calm Before the Storm
This time of year always feels like the calm before the storm in professional golf.
Fields across the main tours might not be at their strongest, but that opens doors for rising players to make a name for themselves. Every tournament is an opportunity - for someone, this could be the week that changes their career.
As journalists, we thrive on these moments. The underdog stories, the breakthrough performances, the struggles and triumphs - all part of the human drama that makes sport so compelling.
And that's why every tournament matters. The next big star could be teeing it up right now, somewhere in golf's global pyramid.
So sit back and enjoy this week's action!
This Week's Key Golf Tournaments
PGA Tour
Thursday, March 20 – Sunday, March 23, 2025
Valspar Championship
Innisbrook Resort (Copperhead Course), Palm Harbor, Florida, USA
Purse: $8.7 million
DP World Tour
Thursday, March 20 – Sunday, March 23, 2025
Porsche Singapore Classic
Laguna National Golf Resort Club, Singapore
Purse: $2.5 million
Asian Tour
Thursday, March 20 – Sunday, March 23, 2025
International Series Macau presented by Wynn
Macau Golf & Country Club
Purse: $2 million
HotelPlanner Tour (Formerly the Challenge Tour)
Thursday, March 20 – Sunday, March 23, 2025
Delhi Challenge
Classic Golf & Country Club, Gurugram, Haryana, India
Purse: $300,000
Clutch Pro Tour
Tuesday, March 18 – Thursday, March 20, 2025
UAE Championship
Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Purse: £50,000
Ladies European Tour
Thursday, March 20 – Sunday, March 23, 2025
Australian Women's Classic
Wollongong Golf Club, New South Wales, Australia
Purse: €300,000
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