Worth and Holt take UAE International Pairs crown at Al Zorah
Graeme Worth and Darwin Holt came out on top in the second qualifier of the 2023 UAE International Pairs Qualifying Series organised and presented by Icon Sports at Al Zorah Golf Club in Ajman at the weekend. The pair won the better-ball stableford event with 45 points on countback from Deepak Nicholas and Pankaj Gautam, and claimed spots in the Golf Digest Middle East Oktoberfest event next month at The Els Club, Dubai, where the Best Gross and Division A winners will then go on to play in the Hero Dubai Desert Classic Pro-Am.
There are 12 qualifying events remaining International Pairs Qualifying Series, held at the leading golf clubs around the UAE during the 2023-2024 season.
The top three pairs at each qualifier progress to the UAE National Finals at Abu Dhabi Golf Club held over the National Course next March. The winning pair at the Finals goes on to represent the UAE at the World Final in November 2024 at Royal Obidos Spa & Golf Resort and Bom Sucsso Resort in Portugal.

A Downham double at JGE
Jumeirah Golf Estates hosted the monthly Jumeirah Pairs on its Fire Course. Lady Captain Evelyn Downham and partner Carl Downham claimed the pairs greensomes showdown, where each player tees off and the best shot is selected, from that point the pair plays alternate shots until the hole is completed.
The winning score was a net 67 by Evelyn and Carl, ahead of Simon Brind and Andrew Parsons (69). Cavit Yiliz and Umar Farooq (70) were third.

Jayasinghe tops Oman Amateur Series
Ruwan Jayasinghe became the first winner of the Oman Amateur Series, thanks to a three-round 225 at Ghala Golf Club, two ahead of local pair Badar Al Amri and Ahmed Al Wahaibi. American Tim Lang took the Net Division crown on seven-under.

Malshers top the lot in Al Ain
Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting and Golf Club continued their early season action with the After Summer Open, and Henry and Emma Malsher took top honours in the better-ball strokeplay format. The husband-and-wife team’s five-under net 65 was good enough for a comfortable three-stroke victory. Johan Potgieter and Johan Schoonraad were second, ahead of Carel Nolte and Konstantin Varga.

Scrambling for a Curry crown
The latest installment of the Jumeirah Golf Estates’ Thursday Curry Club saw 36 golfers take to the Earth Course for a pairs nine-hole scramble, with Alex Whayman and David Bainbridge winning with a score of net 30, edging out JGE membership services executive Kian Higgins and Paul McGee on countback.

The post The Gulf Club: All the golf news from around the UAE and beyond appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Matt Smith
Construction work has commenced on the clubhouse at Al Zorah Golf Club, with the aim of transforming it into the leading tourist and golfing destination in the northern Emirates.

The world-class clubhouse will complement the 18-hole championship course, set in the natural landscape and mangroves of Ajman. The clubhouse at the Troon-managed course will offer full leisure facilities, including a gym, golf shop, tennis courts and swimming pool, plus food and beverage outlets will offer visitors a choice to dine, socialise and relax within the club.

Mark Chapleski, Executive Vice-President, Troon International, said: “We are extremely excited about this next phase of the Al Zorah golf journey. It will be a huge step forward with this new state-of-the-art clubhouse sitting right above the 18th green.”

BE AT 1 SERIES:
Tame ‘Sea View’, stroke index 1 at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club
Tame the 15th, stroke index 1, at The Els Club Dubai
Tame the 5th, stroke index 1, at Tower Links Golf Club
Tame the 15th, stroke index 1, at Yas Links Abu Dhabi
Tame the 7th, stroke index 1, at Dubai Hills Golf Club
Tame the 12th, stroke index 1, at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club
Tame the 13th, stroke index 1, at Al Zorah Golf Club
Tame the 10th, stroke index 1, at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club
Tame the 5th, stroke index 1, at Abu Dhabi Golf Club
Tame the 5th, stroke index 1, at Arabian Ranches Golf Club

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By Kent Gray

With a major champion returning for his second start in three weeks, the current order-of-merit leader winging his way to Malaysia and the return of a perennial title challenger from Austria, this week’s Golf Citizen Abu Dhabi Open doesn’t lack for preview fodder.

But as inevitable as it is that former Open champion Darren Clarke, MIA South African MG Keyser and confidence-bruised Englishman Luke Joy will dominate the early narrative at Yas Links, there is an intriguing amateur subplot that has MENA Tour chairman Mohamed Juma Buamaim just as excited.

At the summit of the battle within the battle is Englishman Todd Clements who will look to extend his lead in the circuit’s amateur OOM. Clements, who moved up to 64th in the amateur world rankings on the back of his joint second placing with Rayhan Thomas at the recent Dubai Creek Open, takes a 27 point lead into the 12th of the tour’s 15 regular season events over countryman Sam Hobday.  UAE-based Swiss international Michael Harradine, third overall 41 points adrift, will also hope to have some say at Yas Links.

But the presence of UAE nationals Ahmed Skaik, Khalid Yousuf, Sohail Al Marzooqi and Abdalla Al Musharrekh among the 24 amateur entries is especially welcomed by Buamaim.

It is a particularly important time for Skaik who won the individual title at last year’s 21st GCC Golf Championship in Bahrain. The left-hander is counting down to the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship in New Zealand (Oct. 26-29) and the Nomura Cup (Asia-Pacific Amateur Teams Championship) in Malaysia (Nov. 9-12).

Skaik will have promising 17-year-old Mohammed Al Hajeri for company at Royal Wellington next month where the individual winner earns a start in the 2018 U.S. Masters. Abdalla and Hassan Al Musharrekh, meanwhile, will fly with Skaik to Jordan’s AYLA Golf Championship, a new stop on the MENA Tour next week, as part of the on-going prep for the Nomura Cup.

“It’s great to see UAE national team members, in particular, sign up for the event,” said Buamaim.

“The experience that the region’s amateurs gain from competing alongside professionals will hold them in good stead for their future regional and international engagements.”

Clarke, the 2011 Open Champion and the MENA Tour’s increasingly hard-working patron, has returned to Abu Dhabi of his own accord, partly to push the circuit’s agenda with the Emirates Golf Federation but also in the hope of rekindling some old magic ahead of teeing it up on the Champions Tour in the U.S. next year.

The 49-year-old, who spent time practicing under the watchful eye of Butch Harmon School of Golf director of instruction Justin Parsons at The Els over the weekend, finished T-16 at the Creek with scores of 68-69-74. Clarke will be hoping his putter co-operates a little more at Yas Links as he looks to go one better than his T-2 finish in his MENA Tour debut at the 2015 Ras Al Khaimah Classic.

Great to spend some time with Darren Clarke this week. His instinct (strike) and artistry (shape) are about as good as anyone. Good two days work @the_els_club_dubai @bhsgdubai #teamtitleist #titleist #golfer #golf #golfing

A post shared by Justin Parsons (@jparsonsgolf) on Sep 23, 2017 at 2:31am PDT

Joy hopes to quickly rebound from a missed cut at the KLM Open and the “crushing blow” of failing to advance from the first stage of European Tour Q-School in Austria last week. At fourth on the Pro OOM, the 29-year-old still has much to play for and especially so around the links layout to which he is attached.

Related: Joy “absolutely deflated” after failing, by a stoke, to advance at European Tour Q-School 

After back-to-back Dubai Creek and Golf Citizen Classic victories, Mathiam Gerhard, or “MG “, Keyser, is opted to chase a return to the Asian Tour which means Joy, Swede Fredrik From and former Challenge Tour winner Jamie Elson will resume their battle for top honours as the circuit quickly zeros in on its flagship $100,000 Tour Championship at Al Zorah from Oct. 23-26.

Dubai-based Keyser begins a three week stretch on the Asian Development Tour in Malaysia at this week’s PGM EurAsia Sabah Championship at Sabah Golf and Country Club but has vowed to return to MENA Tour duty in 2018.

“I would love to play the rest of the Mena events and try finishing first but I have commitments in Asia and have to focus on getting my main tour card back for next year,” Keyser told Golf Digest Middle East.

“And then I can hopefully schedule the Mena Tour in for 2018 and try and play enough events to be able to play tour champs.”

Order of Merit standings thru Golf Citizen Abu Dhabi Classic at The Els, Dubai:
Professionals
MG Keyser (South Africa) – 18,774 points
Fredrik From (Sweden) – 18,397
Jamie Elson (England) – 17,453
Luke Joy (England) – 16,420
Andrew Marshall (England) – 16,171

Amateurs
Todd Clements (England) -181 points
Sam Hobday (England) – 154
Michael Harradine (Switzerland) -140
Tiago Lobo (Brazil) – 121
Rayhan Thomas (India) – 118

The post UAE lefty Ahmed Skaik leads intriguing amateur subplot at Golf Citizen Abu Dhabi Open appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Cashing-in on a simple set-up tweak and a Trump International Golf Club, Dubai layout that suits his eye, big-hitting Munro triumphed 3&2.

“Funnily enough, Rory gave me a lesson last week. I was starting to get a bit lax with my set-up which he fixed and now I’ve started to get comfortable with the change,” Munro said. “I’m sure he doesn’t regret it [the lesson], well maybe a little. But no, he’s a good lad.”

The victory means the UAE PGA’s two most prestigious trophies now have pride of place on the Munro mantelpiece, at least until Monday when the Abu Dhabi-based professional attempts to defend his Tour Championship title over two days and 36-holes of strokeplay at Al Zorah in Ajman.

“It’s great to win the matchplay for my first time. I wanted the double, not many have achieved that,” Munro said.

“I have managed to get the semis a couple of times only to be beaten by birdies and eagles and stuff on the last so to go the extra hurdle is very pleasing. I’ve been fortunate to play some good golf over the last year and I’m delighted to win both flagship events the UAE PGA has to offer.”

Munro enjoyed a walkover win earlier Tuesday when Jumeirah Golf Estates’ Thomas Henderson was forced to forfeit their semifinal with a finger injury.

Young was “two or three under par” when he ousted defending matchplay champion Callum Nicoll (Abu Dhabi GC) 3&2 in the other semifinal but was on the back foot early in the decider – three down through three – and couldn’t conjure up any of his morning magic.

He got it back to two down on the par 4 4^th, but a bogey five on the tough 7^th saw Munro stretch out to 3up. Young won the 10^th to reduce Munro’s buffer to two holes once again before the 11^th proved the pivotal hole of the final.

Rory Young and Steven Munro ahead of the final. Photos courtesy Luke Plump/Trump International GC, Dubai

Young opted for an iron off the tee on the par 4 and wedged to 12 feet. Munro took driver and watched his ball fall off the left edge of the driveable green, leaving a delicate chip which he was happy to leave just outside Young’s ball. He then holed the birdie putt, Young missed and was again three down. Munro birdied 14^th, gave that hole back with a poor tee shot on the 15^th but was soon shaking hands when he laser beamed a 111-yard approach to three inches on the 16^th.

“My approach in the final was to try and play solid golf, not make any mistakes and see if that forced Rory into mistakes. Going three up through three allowed me to concentrate on fairways and greens and Rory would be the first to admit he didn’t play his best in the final,” Munro said.

“It’s the fourth time I’ve played Trump since it opened. I like to give it a bit of a smack [off the tee] and with the fairways being quite generous, it gave me the chance to play to my strength. I’m pretty comfortable there and that made the final pretty uneventful.”

It was Munrio’s second win of the UAE PGA Tour season after a recent win at Arabian Ranches. With eight other second or T2 placings, Munro is second on the order of merit heading into next week’s Tour Championship.

However, Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club professional Cennydd Mills has won five times this season and could yet take an unassailable lead into Al Zorah once the standings are recalculated.

Mills boosted his lead atop the standings with a 68 for second place in Monday’s penultimate strokeplay event at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club, two shots adrift of hometown winner Tom Buchanan.

“Cen finished second at Al Ain so is probably too far ahead even though the Matchplay and the Tour Championship carry 50 percent extra points weighting. I’m probably too far behind but we’ll see.”

The post Steven Munro completes the UAE PGA Matchplay-Tour Championship double with victory over, and thanks to, Rory Young appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

But the Trump International Golf Club Dubai Senior Golf Instructor was shocked to find his signature on the three-over effort was good enough to earn a playoff at the Abu Dhabi PGA Open Monday.

The 28-year-old Englishman didn’t need a second invitation, a regulation par on Yas Links’ 1^st hole edging Rory Young in overtime after the Al Ghazal pro (clearly not unfamiliar with sand) tangled with both a fairway and greenside trap en-route to a bogey five.

“’I’m delighted to get off the mark,” Bolt told Golf Digest Middle East of the win. “I came second last week with a three-under 69 at Arabian Ranches so the game is starting to come together after some work on the range over the last few months.

“The goal has been to make the Dubai Trophy team [an end-of-season, Ryder Cup-style event against a team of Emirates GC and Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club amateurs] and that looks likely now which is nice.”

Bolt, who hails from Bournemouth and joined Trump Dubai in December after a three-year stint at London’s Royal Wimbledon GC, wasn’t the only one to struggle with some tight pins at Yas Links despite the relatively benign conditions.

“My iron play was pretty solid but I couldn’t get my putter going…I had five straight birdie chances inside 10 feet [from 9-14] and only holed one of them,” he said.

“Then I dropped four shots in my last five holes including a double on 15 when I left it in a fairway bunker. I made what I’d call a ‘regulation bogey’ on 16, birdied 17 to get it back to two over but then three-putted 18 after I spun my approach off the green.

“I walked off the 18th green a little bit disappointed but when I spoke with [UAE PGA chief executive] Steven Munro and found out I’d made it into the playoff, it was a nice little surprise.”

Young, who had been in one of the first groups out and could never have imagined a 75 would get him into a playoff, was unlucky in sudden-death.

“Rory hit his drive into a fairway bunker and had about 80 yards into the green. He hit it straight over the flag into a back trap and got unlucky with a tough downhill lie. He did well to get it too about 20 feet but unfortunately didn’t make it. “

There are two further order-of-merit events – at Trump Dubai (April 18) and Al Ain (April 24) – before the 2016-17 season closes with the UAE PGA’s two flagship events: the UAE PGA Matchplay Championship finals at Trump on April 25 and the UAE PGA Championship at Al Zorah on May 1-2.

Defending champion Callum Nicoll (Abu Dhabi GC) will face Young (Al Ghazal) in the first of the matchplay semifinals while Munro is set to meet either David Gray (DG Golf) or Tom Henderson (Jumeirah Golf Estates) in the other.

Munro then defends his UAE PGA Championship (strokeplay) title over 36-holes at Al Zorah, Ajman’s mint-condition Nicklaus Design course.

The top 12 professionals on the final UAE OOM and four “captain’s picks” will then look to avenge their loss to the amateurs in the annual Dubai Golf Trophy on May 20-21.

Abu Dhabi PGA Open – Leading scores
75 – *Mike Bolt (Trump), Rory Young (Al Ghazal)
76 – Callum Nicoll (Abu Dhabi GC), Alex Nicholson (The Track, Meydan), Pruna Sharman (Pro Sports), Jaco Stander (Saadiyat Beach GC)
* Bolt won at the first extra hole

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