Sports Reporter/DohaMore than 120 players representing 30 countries will take part in the 26th edition of the Qatar Open Amateur Golf Championship beginning tomorrow at the Doha Golf Club, organisers announced yesterday.The tournament is an important fixture on the local circuit coming as it does a few weeks before the prestigious Commercialbank Qatar Masters European Tour event. The winner of the Qatar Open gets to play in the Masters, thus affording a golden opportunity for budding players to rub shoulders with some of the best names in the business.“The Qatar Open is the most prestigious amateur tournament in Qatar which has a long history and tradition,” Qatar Golf Association President Hassan al-Nuaimi said at a press conference yesterday.“The fact that we are hosting the 26th edition of the event this year proves how successful it has been over the years,” he added.For the third straight year, the tournament is being sponsored by the Qatar Armed Forces. “As you know Qatar’s armed forces have been a pioneer in organising sports events in the country for long,” Brigadier Dahlan al-Hamad told journalists.Brigadier Dahlan, who is also a Vice-President of the International Association of Athletics Federations, added that golf has become a very popular sport in Qatar over the years.“With many expats and Qataris playing golf, and with Qatar organising prestigious tournaments like the Commercialbank Qatar Masters, the sport has gained a lot of popularity in the country,” he added.The Qatar Open will be played over three rounds with the cut made after two. The final round will be played on Saturday.