Organised by Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the Department of Culture and Tourism, the men’s Eisenhower Trophy is scheduled for October 18-21 while the women’s Espirito Santo Trophy takes place the following week from October 25-28.

The UAE men’s team will be captained by star player Ahmad Skaik and he will be joined by current UAE Junior Order of Merit winner Rayan Ahmed as well as 2023 Robert Rock Abu Dhabi Championship winner Thomas Nesbitt.

“It is an honour to represent the country in any event, and to do it in the biggest amateur team event, especially on home soil, makes it even more special,” Skaik said.

“I am excited about this opportunity and proud to serve as the captain. I couldn’t compete much last year due to my injury, so I am eagerly anticipating the challenge.”

Ahmed, who also achieved a top 10 finish at the 2023 European Golf Championships, added: “It’s truly a dream come true to participate in a tournament where golf legends like Tiger (Woods), Rory (McIlroy), and (Jon) Rahm have played. I’ll have the opportunity to test my skills against the very best in the world.”

The women’s representatives include 2023 Faldo Series Middle East Championship winner Jamie Camero, 2022 All African Challenge Trophy champion Intissar Rich and Lara El Chaib, who won two events in England last year.

“The WATC will bring together the best of the best amateurs from all over the world and I’m so honoured to be a part of it, especially in front of our home crowd,” said Camero. “I’m guaranteed to learn a lot from the week.”

Rich, who has previously played in Ladies European Tour events, added: “I’m very excited to be part of the UAE Ladies Team and to play golf at Abu Dhabi Golf Club for the Espirito Santo Trophy.

“This course is known for being tough and used to host the HSBC Championship. Representing the UAE is a big honour, and I can’t wait to play golf with my teammates.”

Both tournaments are set to feature 36 countries with each nation having two or three playing representatives with some of the best amateur players in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, including current World No. 1 Christo Lamprecht.

The 22-year-old South African grabbed the spotlight earlier this year when he posted a 66 to hold the first-round lead at the 151st Open Championship at Royal Liverpool.

“It’s always a great privilege to represent your country,” said Lamprecht. “I’m a very proud South African, I’m looking forward to it and playing alongside my fellow South Africans. It’s time we do really good in the event as historically we haven’t done too well. I think it could be a really special one for us.”

The best two scores from each day’s play go toward the team’s score for each round with the 72-hole total combining to give each nation’s score for the full championship.

Both tournaments were last held in 2022 in France where Italy emerged victorious at the Eisenhower Trophy on 31-under par, while Sweden claimed the Espirito Santo Trophy on 13-under.

Main image: Ahmad Skaik. EGF

The post UAE confirms line-up for World Amateur Team Championships set to take place at Abu Dhabi Golf Club next month appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Abu Dhabi is gearing up to host the 2023 World Amateur Team Championships — the the first time the event has taken place in the Middle East — with Monday marking the start of the one-month countdown until the event kicks off at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.

Hosted by Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the Department of Culture and Tourism, the men’s Eisenhower Trophy is scheduled for October 18-21 while the women’s Espirito Santo Trophy takes place for the following week from October 25-28.

Both tournaments are set to feature 36 countries with each nation having two or three playing representatives.

The best two scores from each day’s play constitutes towards the team’s score for each round with the 72-hole total combing to give the nation’s score for the full championship.

“We are delighted to host the World Amateur Team Championships which is another significant addition in Abu Dhabi’s ever-growing international calendar of sports,” said Aref Al Awani, General Secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council.  “It also provides our home golfing talents the opportunity to play side-by-side with the elite amateur golfers. We warmly welcome the participating teams and wish every participating team the very best.”

General Abdullah Alhashmi, Vice Chairman of the Emirates Golf Federation, added: “The Championship Committee along with the Local Organising Committee have been working hard over the past 12 months to get to this final stage of preparation.

“Under the patronage of his Excellency Sheikh Fahim Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Abu Dhabi and the Emirates Golf Federation, we look forward to hosting the world’s best amateur golfers and top federations at Abu Dhabi Golf Club. I would like to thank our partners at the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the Department of Culture and Tourism for their support and for making this Championship possible.

“Finally, I would like to thank golf’s governing bodies, the International Golf Federation, The R&A and the USGA for their trust in the United Arab Emirates for hosting this prestigious championship, it is our mission to continuing to develop the sport of golf in the Middle East.”

These amateur contests have often been a showcase of golf’s promising young talent with past major champions Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods featuring on winning teams before turning professional.

Both tournaments were last held in 2022 in France where Italy emerged victorious in the Eisenhower Trophy, while Sweden claimed the Espirito Santo Trophy.

The last tournament also featured names such as Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg and USA’s Rose Zhang — both of whom are recent winners in the professional game, the former having been named in Luke Donald’s European team for the upcoming Ryder Cup in Rome, while Rose will represent Team USA in the Solheim Cup.

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By Kent Gray
Abu Dhabi’s stop on the European Tour might have taken a little scheduling kick from football in 2019 but its status in the golf world continues to rise.

The 14th Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by EGA in January has taken the Open de France’s slot as one of the tour’s eight, elite Rolex Series events for the 2018-2019 season.

In a nutshell it means a US$4 million prize fund increase to $7 million, enhanced media coverage and boosted Race to Dubai ranking points. That should translate to an even stronger field for the Jan. 16-19 Desert Swing opener although how that is possible given that Abu Dhabi already lures one of the best fields in golf each January remains to be seen.

Two-time defending champion, Ryder Cup rookie sensation and current Race to Dubai title challenger Tommy Fleetwood appears certain to headline another star-studded field for an event set to start on a Wednesday – a day earlier than golf’s traditional Thursday start-time – to accommodate football’s 2019 Asian Cup being hosted across the UAE from Jan.5 to Feb. 1.

RELATED: Abu Dhabi repeat validates Fleetwood’s Race to Dubai fairytale

Also guaranteed is a well-deserved status boost for the tournament overseen by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council.

Abu Dhabi takes its place alongside the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open, the BMW PGA Championship, the Italian Open, the Turkish Airlines Open, the Nedbank Golf Challenge hosted by Gary Player and the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, in the line-up for the third year of the Rolex Series.

“We are honoured to become one of the elite Rolex Series events and to see our tournament so publicly recognised as one of the world’s leading golf tournaments,” Aref Al Awani, general secretary of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, said. 

“This news highlights our important relationship with the European Tour, one of the world’s leading golf organisations, as well as being an important milestone to celebrate with our valued title sponsors HSBC and our partners Rolex and the EGA.

“Abu Dhabi is ‘A Global Capital of World Sport’ and the international recognition that becoming a Rolex Series event brings certainly underlines our reputation for hosting the world’s best sporting events.”

Abu Dhabi Golf Club again kick starts the new calendar year on the European Tour and a ‘Desert Swing’ now bolstered to five events.

The 30th Omega Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club follows from Jan. 24-27 before Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City makes it’s European Tour bow with the Jan. 31-Feb.3 Saudi International.

There is then a three tournament run in Australia and Mexico – the Vic Open, ISPS Handa World Super 6 Perth and  WGC-Mexico Championship before the tour returns to the Middle East for the Oman Open (Feb. 28-March 3) at Al Mouj Golf in Muscat and the Qatar Masters (March 7-10) at Doha G.C.

The European Tour confirmed its new season schedule on Monday and as in 2018 there are 47 tournaments (48 including the GolfSixes) counting towards the Race to Dubai which will again culminate at what will be the 11th DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates from Nov. 21-24, 2019.

RELATED: What’s the same and what’s new about the 2018-19 European Tour schedule

While the Rolex Series tournaments in Ireland and Scotland retain their July date and those in Turkey, South Africa and Dubai remain in November, there are changes for the BMW PGA Championship which moves from May to September, and the Italian Open which moves from June to October, both made to adapt to the ever-changing global golf landscape.

Other tournaments to alter their 2019 dates include the Open de France, which moves from June to October; and the Andalucia Valderrama Masters, which moves from October to June.

Innovation remains an integral part of the schedule. In addition to the third staging of the GolfSixes event in June in Portugal – the pioneering Shot Clock Challenge is also set to return in August after its ground-breaking debut earlier this year, as will the Belgian Knockout at the end of May.

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By Kent Gray
Abu Dhabi’s three major golf tournaments have been bundled together in a win-win fortnight for golf fans, charity fundraising and the emirate’s wider sports calendar.

The 3rd edition of the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club will kickstart the two-week bonanza after being shifted from its traditional November time-slot to January 10-12.

As well as being contested in a new, shortened 54-hole Pro-Am format similar to the remodelled Omega Dubai Moonlight Classic, the FBMLO will also open the 2019 Ladies European Tour season.

The FBMLO will also now be a forerunner to the Gary Player Invitational a day later at Saadiyat Beach on January 13, with the 18-hole charity event, in turn, preceding the European Tour’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship presented by EGA.

In arguably the most significant change of all, the Desert Swing opener at Abu Dhabi Golf Club will be played from Wednesday-Saturday Jan. 16-19, starting and finishing a day earlier than traditional tour events to accommodate football’s 2019 Asian Cup being staged in the UAE from Jan. 5-Feb. 1.

Getty Images
Tommy Fleetwood will chase a hat-trick of Falcon Trophy wins at the rescheduled Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

Gary Player has led a chorus of support for the changes unveiled by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council on Tuesday.

The new date for the 4th Gary Player Invitational, between the women’s and men’s tour events, means a bolstered field of pros for the charity which will again raise funds for the Zayed Higher Organization for Humanitarian Care and Special  Needs.

“I’ve seen a lot of changes to the game throughout my over 60-year career and I think two of the most important have been the growth and evolution of the women’s game and also the game’s ability to raise money and awareness for a variety of wonderful charitable causes,” said Player.

“While the ladies tour schedule has faced challenges in recent times due to a number of factors, it is essential to find more support for the game, and so, I commend Abu Dhabi and its leadership for introducing this new format for the continued staging of the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open.

“We welcome the event as a forerunner to the 2019 Gary Player Invitational, which thanks to these changes, is set to be our most successful to date.”

The top 15 pairs will survive a 36-hole cut to play the final round while the 56 professionals will continue to battle it out for the FBMLO title, won by Scotland-based American Beth Allen in 2016 and Indian teen Aditi Ashok last year.

Aditi Ashok

“The game of golf continues to evolve globally and given Abu Dhabi’s heritage of innovation in sport, we are continuously seeking ways to encourage and engage both sport fans and participants while at the same time, ensure the longevity of our events,” said His Excellency Aref Hamad Al Awani, General Secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council.

“The new date and format mean that the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open will now offer an unparalleled experience for amateur golfers and a novel new tournament for the professionals.

“The event will also be a spectacular celebration of golf, with the Gary Player Invitational and the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by EGA scheduled in close proximity. Aside from the operational efficiencies, there are many cross-promotional opportunities that will appeal to more fans of the game than ever before.”

LET chairman Mark Lichtenhein said: “We are delighted to be continuing our partnership with the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open and the Abu Dhabi Sports Council into this new era. The new date and format will undoubtedly help shine a strong spotlight onto women’s golf in the Emirate and bring a different sponsor and spectator experience to the LET tournament.”

For more information, visit fbmladiesopen.com  and garyplayer.com/invitational

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The 38-year-old English fashion model and television personality will be joined by cricketers Brian Lara and Ricky Ponting, former Springboks rugby legend Victor Matfield, Boyzlife pop stars Keith Duffy and Brian McFadden and Emirati comedian Ali Al Sayed at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club on February 6.

Nine-time major champion Player will again host the charity Pro-Am which aims to raise funds for the Zayed Higher Organisation for Humanitarian Care & Special Needs.

Former Open champion and European Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke joins Chris Wood, Joost Luiten, Victor Dubuisson, Jason Scrivener, David Howell and South Africans Thomas Aiken and Trevor Immelman as confirmed European Tour starters.

Scotland-based U.S. Ladies European Tour pro Beth Allen, who won last year’s inaugural Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open at Saadiyat Beach GC headlines a strong female lineup including course record holder Georgia Hall, Caroline Martens, Emma Cabrera-Bello and Victoria Lovelady.

The United Arab Emirates’ ‘Year of Giving’ is set to get a significant boost with the announcement of the star-studded line-up.

Darren Clarke in action during the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship – Photographs by Getty Images

Held in conjunction with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, under the Patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, the 2017 Gary Player Invitational joins five other global events in a series that together has helped The Player Foundation raise more than $62 million for charities worldwide. Widely recognised as the world’s leading charity golf series, The Player Foundation is working towards its goal of raising $100 million by 2025.

“Abu Dhabi’s hosting of the second annual Gary Player Invitational highlights not only Abu Dhabi’s strong position as a world-class sporting destination, but also the spirit of generosity that the UAE is known for,” said His Excellency Aref Al Awani, General Secretary of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council.

“Bringing professional golfers, sporting legends and celebrities together with golfing legend Gary Player, and members of the business community, the Pro-Am event complements Abu Dhabi’s robust calendar of world-class events, as it also supports our growing sporting culture and importantly, the vital work of the Zayed Higher Organisation for Humanitarian Care & Special Needs.”

Player, the course designer at Saadiyat Beach GC, will host a pre Pro-Am skills clinic from 11am on February 6. The clinic and Pro-Am are open to the public.

“Saadiyat Beach Golf Club is one of the most engaging courses in the world and the ideal location to host the mix of professional golfers, sporting greats and special guests during this year’s event in Abu Dhabi.

“It is especially significant to host this event during the UAE’s Year of Giving and thanks to the support of the Abu Dhabi Sport Council, facility owner, TDIC and the wider UAE community, we are able to build upon the work of the inaugural event in 2016 and move even closer to reaching our goal of raising $100 million for children by 2025. I know that all participants will have great fun in support of an even greater cause.”

A gala dinner at the five-star Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi on February 5 will kick-start the Invitational while players can also look forward to a traditional South African Braai (BBQ) after play.

www.garyplayerinvitational.com

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The region already hosts a series of men’s European Tour events known as the ‘Desert Swing’, and with December’s Omega Dubai Ladies Masters already established as the LET’s finale since 2006, the new tournament marks an exciting development for women’s golf in the Middle East.

Organised by the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy (FBMA) and supported by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, the Ladies Open boasts a prize fund of $550,000 and an initial three-year partnership with the LET that will take it through 2018.

The stunning Gary Player designed Saadiyat Beach Golf Club will host the new Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open

“Hosting this new golf event is part of our commitment to encourage Emirati Women to participate in all aspects of sports through sport education, training and competition,” said Dr. Mai Al Jaber, Board Member, FBMA. “Alongside the world’s leading professionals playing a tournament, a full schedule of community engagement activities will make this one of the most unique golf events in the UAE calendar.”

A field of 126 professionals will compete over the stunning Gary Player-designed oceanfront course at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, as the best female golfers enter the home stretch in the race to claim the season-long Order of Merit title.

“We’ve been wanting to play a tournament in Abu Dhabi for some time,” said rising LET star Caroline Martens. “The golf course will be one of the best we play all season and I know my fellow professionals will love the experience offered to all visitors. We already take the advantage of visiting Abu Dhabi whenever we can for the perfect climate and training facilities, now to have a tournament title to play for as well is so exciting and I can’t wait for November.”

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