Ian Poulter will be hoping for some of rival Paul Casey’s Middle East magic when the two join a star-studded field for the $2.5 million Commercialbank Qatar Masters this month.

The two Englishman join the likes of Adam Scott, Luke Donald, Sergio Garcia and defending champion Retief Goosen at Doha Golf Club from January 24-27. Casey has already enjoyed Gulf success with victory in Abu Dhabi in 2006 but for Poulter, his appearance in Doha, Dubai and Abu Dhabi have yet to bear fruit.

The stylish 31 year-old will be making his fifth visit to the Gulf state where a tie for eleventh place in 2000 is his best performance to date. However, a ninth PGA European Tour win on Gulf turf is far from beyond him and he and Casey will be among the favourites for the winner’s cheque of US$ 416, 660.

Casey, on the other hand, would be forgiven for praying he can repeat his hole-in-one Ryder Cup success at the K Club. That ace may have moved Europe one step closer to victory in 2006 but should the 30 year-old conjure up another in Doha he will sail away with a $150,000 luxury cruiser courtesy of Alfardan Marine, the tournament’s hole-in-one sponsor.

The offer of a 26-foot Doral Monticello luxury cruiser for the first player able to hole his tee shot on the par-three seventeenth is yet another twist to an event that continues to attract one of the strongest field on the overseas calendar.
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“Everyone remembers Paul’s hole-in-one at the Ryder Cup,” said Hassan Al Nuami, chairman of the Qatar Golf Association (QGA), organisers of the tournament alongside the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) and title sponsor Commercialbank.

“We’d love to be able to hand over the keys to the yacht to any player who can ace the seventeenth as it’s certainly a wonderful prize and we are grateful for Alfardan Marine’s support of the tournament. I don’t know if Paul or Ian has a boat like this at home but I’m sure they’d be happy with a wonderful souvenir from their time in Qatar.”

Following his success last year in Abu Dhabi, Casey was understandably drained by the time he teed up in Doha and failed to make the cut.

This year, however, he makes his second appearance on a 7,374-yard course that combines length with a swirling Gulf wind – little surprise that in the ten years of the event no player has lifted the famous Mother of Pearl trophy on more than one occasion.