Today's Edition
ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
A spectacular new era in golf begins in Dubai with the launch of the Stars Golf League, a one-of-a-kind event that brings together some of the world’s greatest male and female professional golfers, and global celebrity golfers in a team-format battle for glory.
The tournament will be staged at The Els Club Dubai, a desert "links-style" course designed by South African great Ernie Els who returns to a city where he carved out his own history, winning the Hero Dubai Desert Classic three times and setting the event’s 18-hole scoring record with a blistering 61 in 1994.
In a video message at the launch, Els expressed his excitement at the names “playing in a competitive environment and at a golf course that I designed”.
The League will feature six elite franchises: Augusta Marquess, St. Andrew Dukes, Pebble Beach Lords, Royal Troon Barons, Pinehurst Emperors, and Sun City Kings, and will bring together 24 golfers, six women professionals and six global celebrity golfers. Nine of the top 10 players from the Legends Tour Order of Merit are part of the field of 24.
The tournament will take place over four days from March 25 to 28, 2026, with each team counting the best five of six scores per round. Players will compete for a total professional prize pool of $1 million, while team owners stand to earn $300,000, $200,000, and $100,000 for the top three places, respectively.
The Stars Golf League (SGL) is the brainchild of a team behind the World Tennis League (WTL) and World Padel League (WPL) led by names such as former India international tennis player Mahesh Bhupathi and others.
“Having competed at the highest level of sport, I know the power of bringing world-class talent together on one stage,” said the 12-time Grand Slam champion Bhupathi. “The Stars Golf League does exactly that, uniting legends, champions, and icons in a way golf has never seen before.”
Golfing Greats:
Paul Lawrie – 1999 Open Champion at Carnoustie, Scotland
Michael Campbell – 2005 US Open Champion at Pinehurst
Ian Woosnam – Former world No.1, 1991 Masters Champion, 52 professional wins
Colin Montgomerie – Record 8-time European Tour Order of Merit winner
Thomas Bjorn – Ryder Cup-winning captain, Hero Dubai Desert Classic 2001
Scott Hend – Current leader of Legends Tour Order of Merit
Jeev Milkha Singh – 20 professional wins across DP World, Asian & Japan Tours
Celebrity golfers:
AB de Villiers – Cricket’s “Mr. 360°”, now a golf powerhouse
Kapil Dev – 1983 Cricket World Cup-winning captain, PGTI Chairman
Yuvraj Singh – 2011 Cricket World Cup hero
Ryan Giggs – Manchester United legend, amateur golfer
Alan Shearer – Premier League all-time top scorer, golf enthusiast
Ruud Gullit – Dutch football icon, 1987 Ballon d’Or winner
Women Professionals:
Diksha Dagar – LET winner from India, overcame hearing impairment
Tvesa Malik – Rising star on Ladies European Tour
Florentyna Parker (GER) – English pro with 3 LET victories
Alexandra Swayne (USA) – Rising star on Ladies European Tour
