Dec. 18, 2004 – For the first time, the Qatar Masters will be jointly sanctioned by the European Tour and the Asian Tour in 2005. The eighth edition of the Qatar Masters will offer a purse of $1.5 million.

This first event in the Middle East to be jointly sanctioned will ensure a strong presence of Asia's top stars, as 44 Asian Tour members will line up alongside 102 players from the European circuit. The event is set for Mar. 10-13 at Doha Golf Club, where it has been staged since its inception since 1998.

The Qatar Masters has traditionally enjoyed a strong field, with Open Champion Paul Lawrie, the winner of the Qatar Masters in 1999, Darren Clarke of Ireland, Australian Adam Scott and Colin Montgomerie of Scotland headlining previous events. Swede Joakim Haeggman won the title earlier this year.

Asian Tour players who have teed off in the Qatar Masters include Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee, Arjun Atwal and Jeev Milkha Singh of India. The top 44 players from the 2004 Asian Tour Order of Merit will qualify for the 2005 Qatar Masters.

Source: The Asian Tour