The 24-year-old will tee it up alongside some of the games biggest stars at the $9 million DP World Tour Rolex Series event after triumphing by four shots from Ireland’s Brandon St John, with Cameron Mukherjee of Scotland a further three shots behind.

El Ela finished on nine-under after the three rounds on Saadiyat Island in the UAE capital and will be up against the likes of Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry, Tyrrell Hatton and defending champion Thomas Pieters at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship from January 19-23.

The post Issa Abou El Ela wins Abu Dhabi Amateur Championship to book spot at Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By GolfDigeste.com
This December will see the fifth Abu Dhabi Amateur Championship take place, with the tournament once again returning to Saadiyat Beach Golf Club. The competition will be fierce as there is an added incentive this time around — the winner will secure a spot at the 2023 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in January at Yas Links, the Abu Dhabi Sports Council has confirmed.

The 54-hole tournament will take place at the Gary Player designed course on Saadiyat Island in the UAE capital, which harnesses stunning natural beauty to create an unparalleled experience, with spectacular views of the surrounding Gulf water and beaches.

The tournament will be held from December 13-15 in an individual strokeplay format and entries are open to male amateurs with an Official World Handicap of 0.4 or better. Those competing will not just have the title and qualification for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in mind but will also have the opportunity to earn valuable WAGR points too.

The Abu Dhabi Amateur Championship has enjoyed widespread success over the years, with local favourite Josh Hill securing a wire-to-wire victory in 2021.

Aref Hamad Al Awani, General Secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, said: “The fifth edition of the Abu Dhabi Amateur Championship is a real milestone and has become an important calendar slot for amateur golfers to earn the exciting opportunity to qualify for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and compete against the world’s very best players. At Abu Dhabi Sports Council we are big believers in developing the next generation of sportsman, particularly those based here in the capital. By hosting such high calibre tournaments we are able to simultaneously attract the very best players as well as generating more interest in the game locally.”

Chris May, CEO Viya Golf, said: “The team has been hard at work ahead of the return of the Abu Dhabi Amateur Championship. This tournament is an essential element when it comes to supporting amateur golfers and we are proud to play a role in their development as well as helping to boost the reputation of the tournament in the region. Amateurs are the lifeblood of our sport and with the opportunity to secure a spot at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship means that we see players from all over the world travel here to compete in the UAE’s capital and test themselves against the notoriously difficult reputation which Saadiyat Beach Golf Club enjoys.”

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The post Winner of Abu Dhabi Amateur Championship will automatically qualify for 2023 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

It was a fittingly dramatic finish to the second edition of the WAGR-sanctioned event but not half as clutch as the wild par the 17-year-old conjured up on Thursday to capture the 54-hole title for a second time in three years and book his return to the $8 million DP World Tour event next month.

It was all tied up at -9 with Denmark’s Frederick Birkelund heading down the last at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club when Hill’s title hopes seemed lost courtesy of a tugged drive left that his father Russell described as “…so wide and dead”.

And then the Trump International Golf Club, Dubai member produced this miraculous recovery shot from the desert. Check. It. Out. (we suggest going to full-screen mode and urge you to wait for the ball to emerge, seemingly from thin air) :

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Russell Hill (@golf_osteo_path_dxb)

Anyone who has ever played golf in the UAE knows how difficult shots are from wasteland, much less from the particularly gnarly lie that confronted Hill. And don’t forget all that wetness beyond that demanded absolute pin-point accuracy. Russell Hill provided a proud father commentary on his Instagram feed.

“Josh hit one of the most incredible golf shots I have ever seen today, SEVE Would have been proud of it himself,” Hill Snr wrote.

“Was tied for the lead going up the last hole, from the tee he left himself so wide and dead, he was in the desert behind a grass lump had about 25 yards to clear, of desert, cart path and rough and he had to land it in the fringe on a knuckle. If it landed left side it would have gone 15 yards away from the hole, to far right it would have kicked into the water and if to long it could have been wet… he landed it in a foot window and it rolled past the hole to eight foot, absolutely friggin stunning! It was so clutch it won him the title!”

Indeed, while Birkelund bogeyed, Hill two-putted for par to sign for a closing 72 to go with earlier rounds of 66-69 and a championship-winning 207 aggregate. His -9 total edged the Dane by a stroke with India’s Yash Majmudar third on 210 while Dubai-based Welsh international Toby Bishop and Victor Svendsen (DEN) finished T-4 a shot further back.

The victory sets up a third DP World Tour (formerly European Tour) start for Hill who will rub shoulders with the likes of Collin Morikawa and Rory McIlroy at the 17th Abu Dhabi Championship, a Rolex Series event to be hosted by Yas Links Abu Dhabi for the first time from Jan.20-23.

Hill has coincidently finished T-117 in both his previous DP World Tour starts, carding rounds of 74-76 around Abu Dhabi Golf Club’s National layout in 2020, a week before a pair of 77s also saw him miss the cut at the Dubai Desert Classic. He earned the invite to ‘Major of the Middle East’ after topping the MENA Tour’s amateur Journey to Jordan OOM title during a stellar 2019. Hill became the youngest winner of an Official World Golf Ranking event that season when he captured the MENA Tour’s Al Ain Open and has since gone on to gain selection to the senior England amateur team for the coveted Home Internationals.

The post With ‘Seve’-Esque par from ‘dead’ lie, Josh Hill is the epitome of clutch and on his way back to the DP World Tour appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
Josh Hill has had one of those golfing years you don’t want to end. Except he can’t wait for 2020.

With a 54th (and final) hole birdie, the 15-year-old Dubai-based England Boys’ representative captured the Abu Dhabi Amateur Championship on Wednesday to earn a spot in next month’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

It means Hill will not only be the youngest player to tee it up in the $7 million Rolex Series event at Abu Dhabi Golf Club but will also play back-to-back European Tour events after also qualifying for the Omega Dubai Desert Classic courtesy of winning the MENA Tour’s amateur Journey to Jordan title.

? ?? ???? ? ??????!

? Congratulations to 15-year-old Josh Hill, on an incredible win at the Abu Dhabi Amateur Championship!

Qualifies for the 2020 #ADGOLFCHAMPS! ?

? THE YOUNGEST EVER GOLFER TO PLAY AT OUR CHAMPIONSHIP AT 15 Y/O!#RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/f3exdrsi3T

— Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by EGA (@ADGolfChamps) December 18, 2019

Hill’s one-stroke victory over pal Arjun Gupta at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club on Wednesday capped a stellar 2019 highlighted by his victory in the MENA Tour’s Al Ain Open where he became the youngest winner of an Official World Golf Ranking Event.

RELATED: Meet the MENA Tour’s new Boy Wonder

The Trump Dubai club member fired rounds of 70-72-75 for a one-over 217 aggregate in tricky conditions at the Gary Player-designed SBGC, edging Gupta (70-77-71) by a stroke. Toby Bishop (74-77-69), the third member of the MENA Tour’s self-titled ‘Three Musketeers’, fittingly rounded out the top three places with a four-over 220 total.

Arjun is currently ranked 1886 on the @WAGRank, but he will climb rapidly in 2020. Love the fact that he consciously put on nearly 10 kilos over the summer to help his golf. He is already seeing the benefits. pic.twitter.com/ByTNCuPfsl

— Joy Chakravarty (@TheJoyofGolf) December 18, 2019

Hill will be joined at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by EGA by Ahmed Skaik (76-81-74) who finished leading Emirati at Saadiyat Beach. Skaik held his nerve in a playoff with Saif Thabet (78-78-75) for the European Tour start after both finished in T11 place at SBGC on +15.

RELATED: Prodigy Power: The driver swing that helped Josh Hill wow the golf world

The post Amateur sensation Josh Hill, already a lock for Desert Classic, will now also tee it up in Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

In addition to WAGR points, two spots in the 2020 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by EGA will be on the line. The starts in the European Tour’s opening Rolex Series event of the new season will go to Dino Capazario’s successor as champion and the amateur championship’s leading Emirati player. 

Reigning Open champion Shane Lowry is expected to defend the Falcon Trophy at Abu Dhabi Golf Club from Jan. 16-19. The announcement that Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson will play in the Saudi International later in Jan. also raises the prospect that the world No.1 and No.3 will return to join Lowry at the $7 million Abu Dhabi stop, ensuring an incredible experience for the Abu Dhabi Amateur Championship winners.

“This is another hugely exciting opportunity for upcoming golfers to test their skills against some of the very best players in the world at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by EGA,” said H.E. Aref Hamad Al Awani, General Secretary of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council.

“Attracting more players and fans to the game of golf is an important part of the continued growth of the tournament and having local talent teeing off alongside some of the biggest names in the sport will create even more interest in the championship.”

The announcement comes as the Troon managed trinity of Abu Dhabi Golf Club, Saadiyat Beach Golf Club and Yas Links Abu Dhabi gear up for a busy season includes major tour and tourism events.

The third edition of the €18,000 Abu Dhabi Pro-Am presented by Troon Golf  is scheduled for February 3-6. 2020. The Abu Dhabi Golf Festival follows from Feb. 7-14.

“There’s always a great buzz in the region when the golfing season officially gets underway. As well as playing three world-class golf courses, off the course there is also so much for visitors to do and celebrate. From the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, to watching the world’s best golfers play Abu Dhabi Golf Club in January, once again Abu Dhabi will prove itself as not only a golfing location, but also a fantastic destination with lots on offer for visitors,” said Francisco de Lancastre David, Cluster General Manager at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, Saadiyat Beach Golf Club and Yas Links Abu Dhabi.

“The Abu Dhabi Amateur Championship will certainly kick start a brilliant schedule of golfing events too, and with the added incentive for players to earn spots at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by EGA, it’s bound to add another dimension to the event and further boost the profile of golf in the region. We thank the Abu Dhabi Sports Council for raising the profile of the event.”

Capazario won the inaugural Abu Dhabi Amateur with a three-over-par 219 total last year, a shot ahead of then 14-year-old in Arjun Gupta and UAE National Team player Saif Thabet.

The post European Tour spots up for grabs at Abu Dhabi Amateur Championship appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
Last month, Golf Digest Middle East revealed that Saadiyat Beach Golf Club had secured World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) status for a new event designed to lure some of the world’s best young amateurs to the emirate.

The Abu Dhabi Amateur Championship will be played over 54-holes of strokeplay and given its revised December 13-15 timeslot, shapes as attractive to collegiate players heading home for Christmas while falling at a time where there is little top-flight golf available elsewhere.

RELATED: Saadiyat Beach gain official WAGR status for Abu Dhabi Amateur Championship

Now Saadiyat has partnered with Abu Dhabi Golf Club to offer two further tournaments that will not only expose the Troon International managed sister properties to a wider amateur audience, but also the emirate’s tourism jewels.

The Abu Dhabi Golf Festival will be held at both Abu Dhabi and Saadiyat, as well as Yas Links, from December 1-8. It is spearheaded by leading German golf tour operator, Golf Extra, and is a popular week for European golfers searching for winter sun.

The Abu Dhabi Pro-Am, scheduled for February 2-7, follows on from the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, the start of the new European Tour year. It’s a 54-hole tournament played over three days at both Abu Dhabi and Saadiyat and alredy boasts a $30,000 prize fund. Co-sanctioned by the PGA’s of Europe and the UAE PGA, it is open to teams of four, including one professional, and will be played in a better ball format.

Saadiyat Beach Golf Club.

“These events will not only help raise the profile of Abu Dhabi as a golf destination and a tourist attraction, but also provide a fantastic advert for what we have to offer here in Abu Dhabi,” said Ed Edwards, General Manager at Abu Dhabi and Saadiyat Beach.

“Golf in the region has been on an upward curve ever since the hosting of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship 13 years ago. These major golf events will complement the European Tour events and attract more visitors to this superb golf destination.

“We are extremely excited about the direction that golf in Abu Dhabi is heading.“

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The Abu Dhabi Amateur Championship will be a 54-hole strokeplay tournament open to male players and will be played on the Gary Player-designed seaside links from December 8-15.

It will be the first standalone event to offer WAGR points although the MENA Tour has offered this carrot for amateurs in recent seasons and helped the likes of Dubai-based Indian Rayhan Thomas and Englishman Todd Clements establish themselves in the global game.

“We have been contemplating hosting such an event for quite some time and after we hosted the [Abu Dhabi] HSBC qualifier last year we realised that there was an opportunity to create a larger amateur championship for not only the local players  but also many elite international amateurs,” said Matthew Waters, Saadiyat Beach G.C.s Golf Operations Manager.

“The process of applying for the WAGR status was surprisingly simple however there were quite a few requirements that we had to meet.”

The final category of the Abu Dhabi event will be determined by the R&A once the strength of the 72-strong field is assessed. Waters is hopeful the December slot will prove popular.

“We chose these dates specifically to accommodate for as many amateurs as possible. With the schools breaking up for the Christmas Holidays that week we hope to welcome many of the young up and coming elite amateurs as well as many college athletes on their way back to their home countries for Christmas,” he said.

“The weather is also perfect around that time of year so we hope that many participants can enjoy not only the championship but the many other attractions Abu Dhabi has to offer.”

Saadiyat Beach held a Pro-Am qualifier for last year’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. The new Abu Dhabi Amateur Championship doesn’t offer that European Tour lure, not yet anyway.

“Not yet….but would certainly be a great addition to the event,” Waters said.

To register for the Abu Dhabi Amateur Championship, click here.

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