Spaniard Balmaseda named Mena Golf Tour ambassador

Carlos Balmaseda has been named the brand ambassador of the Mena Golf Tour in acknowledgment of his energetic services to promoting the game in the region and beyond.

One of the tour’s most flamboyant characters, who stands out with his bright outfits, Balmaseda forms an integral part of the Spanish armada that has lit up the competition, bringing its own power, flair and exuberance to the game.

In his role as an ambassador, the two-time Spanish national champion will promote and support a variety of Mena Golf Tour initiatives, aimed at enhancing the profile of the tour, which has Darren Clarke, the European captain for the 2016 Ryder Cup, as its patron

“To be an official part of the Mena Tour family is a great honour for me,” said the 43-year-old veteran, adding: “What the tour has done for the overall development of golf is just so impressive. It has provided the players with a wonderful springboard for a successful career, especially the amateurs.

“If the tour has grown exponentially since its inception in 2011, it is for a good reason. Incentives like attractive prize funds, guaranteed spots in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and exemptions in the Asian Tour qualifying school are compelling enough for players to join the tour,” said the  Spaniard, who has five top-10 finishes on the Mena Golf Tour last year, including a second at the Ghala Valley Open in Oman.

Enjoying a rich vein of form, Balmaseda, who turned professional in 1990, has racked up four victories on the domestic Spanish circuit this season to set himself firmly for a crack at the maiden Mena Golf Tour title.

Welcoming Balmaseda to the Mena Golf Tour family, Mohamed Juma Buamaim, chairman of the tour, commented: "Carlos has proved much more than a colourful character with his outstanding golf talent, dedication and natural flair. We are delighted to have him on board as an ambassador.

“The Spaniards form the third largest contingent competing on the Mena Tour after Morocco and England and this shows that our events have been well received with a good number of countries sending players to compete, a key feature which has invigorated the tour."

The genial Spaniard joins his Mena Golf Tour colleagues - Englishmen Zane Scotland and Joshua White and Morocco’s Faycal Serghini who have been representing 'golf in DUBAi' as their ambassadors - at the helm of an ambitious campaign to showcase a massive growth potential in the region.

Held under the auspices of the Shaikh Maktoum Golf Foundation and affiliated to the Arab Golf Federation and the R&A, the Mena Golf Tour resumes in mid-September with an eight-week 'Gulf Swing' that includes four stops in the UAE and one each in Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia before returning to the UAE for the season-ending Tour championship in November.
 

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