Turkey to host $7M European Tour event in 2013

• By Ryan Lavner
• Oct 10, 2012 7:57 AM ET

Turkey will host its first-ever European Tour event in 2013 with the $7 million Turkish Open, scheduled to be played a week before the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, it was announced Wednesday.

The 78-player tournament will be played on Nov. 7-10, 2013, at the Montgomerie Maxx Royal in Belek, Antalya. As the penultimate event on the European Tour schedule, it figures to attract a star-studded field and factor heavily in the yearlong Race to Dubai.

Video: 'Morning Drive' crew discusses Turkish Open impact

The announcement was made during the second round of the Turkish Airlines World Golf Finals, an eight-player exhibition in Belek featuring four of the top five players in the world, including Tiger Woods and world No. 1 Rory McIlroy.

Wednesday’s news is yet another positive sign for Turkey as it prepares its bid to host the 2020 Olympics.

“This is just a great move for Turkey,” said Andrew (Chubby) Chandler, managing director of International Sports Management, in a statement. “This tournament ticks a lot of boxes for Turkey who are really driving towards a bid for the 2020 Olympics. Hosting big events like this tournament can only help that strategy, and to be able to announce a three-year deal for a $7 million tournament is a very rare thing these days.”