By Kent Gray
Golf Saudi has become the latest member of the European Disabled Golf Association (EDGA).

EDGA is considered globally to be the foremost experts on golf for persons of disability and will therefore look to work with Golf Saudi to promote golf for all Saudi players with disabilities, regardless of their ability. 

In the build-up to the announcement at the PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers, both parties had been hard at work to develop a joint programme which promotes golf to Saudi citizens with varying disabilities, with the intention of making the game fully inclusive in the Kingdom. 

Speaking during a press conference announcing Golf Saudi’s membership of EDGA, Majed Al Sorour, the CEO and Deputy Chairman of Golf Saudi said: “It is my pleasure to confirm that Golf Saudi has become a member of EDGA, furthering our commitment to make golf accessible to all. As an organisation, EDGA is considered globally to be the foremost expert on golf for people with disabilities and we will therefore look to work with them to promote golf for all in Saudi. I am delighted that we’ve been able to welcome here in KAEC, Mark Taylor, EDGA’s Head of Development, who has over the past week been training our Golf Saudi coaches to deliver tailored training sessions.” 

A two-day training programme was initially held in Riyadh with Golf Saudi’s Mass Participation coaches and other volunteers working in the Saudi disability space. With another two days of training held for other PGA qualified coaches, who are already based in the Kingdom. 

Commenting on both the progress made by the Golf Saudi coaches under his tutelage and the tournament clinics held during the PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers, Mark Taylor, the Head of Development at the European Disabled Golf Association, said: 

“My thanks first of all must go to Golf Saudi for not only undertaking this training and hosting these clinics but for also signing up here today as an official member of EDGA. This bold move demonstrates their courage to follow through on their vision, in terms of making golf an inclusive sport throughout the Kingdom. 

He added: “Thanks must also go to the participants who took the time out to join us, as well as the team at the Asian Tour, without whom this clinic would not be possible.” 

 

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As one of the three pillars of the National Sustainability Strategy, the Social Agenda is focused on the creation of education, employment and leisure opportunities for all Saudis from all age groups. Golf Saudi’s membership of EDGA will therefore sit at the heart of this, by creating an access programme for disabled people to attend their nearest golf courses, regardless of where they’re from within the Kingdom.

Amer Al Rumaih, a Saudi war veteran has been in attendance at this week’s tournament as well as the EDGA clinics. By signing-up to the Social Agenda in early 2021, Al Rumaih was the first beneficiary of the Golf Saudi access programme. In the past twelve months, Al Rumaih has been provided with complimentary lessons and equipment to aid his development within the game and as a result has inspired others to follow his lead. 

Steven Troup, Director of Instruction and Education at Golf Saudi, said: “At Golf Saudi we are firm believers in diversity and inclusion being the basis for not only our organisation’s success but the country’s too. Therefore, we are proud to have not only developed a comprehensive Social Agenda for Saudi citizens but to have also worked so closely with EDGA to develop an access programme that offers the same golfing opportunities for disabled citizens too.” 

Over the next 12 to 18 months, Golf Saudi will continue to work closely with EDGA, as well as golf clubs across the Kingdom to ensure that the new access programme is available to all. With expertise from EDGA, assistance from Saudi golf clubs and dedicated resources from Golf Saudi this new programme will provide opportunities for everyone that wants to try the sport of golf.

golfsaudi.com

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By Special Correspondent
Golf Saudi has joined the European Disabled Golf Association (EDGA) with full member status.

The EDGA is considered globally to be the foremost experts on golf for persons of disability and will therefore look to work with Golf Saudi to promote golf for all Saudi players with disabilities, regardless of their ability.  

In the build-up to this week’s announcement at the PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers, both parties have been hard at work to develop a joint programme which promotes golf to Saudi citizens with varying disabilities, with the intention of making the game fully inclusive in the Kingdom.  

Speaking during a press conference announcing Golf Saudi’s membership of EDGA, Majed Al Sorour,  the CEO and Deputy Chairman of Golf Saudi said: “It is my pleasure to confirm that Golf Saudi has become a member of EDGA, furthering our commitment to make golf accessible to all. As an organisation, EDGA is considered globally to be the foremost expert on golf for people with disabilities and we will therefore look to work with them to promote golf for all in Saudi. I am delighted that we’ve been able to welcome here in KAEC, Mark Taylor, EDGA’s Head of Development, who has over the past week been training our Golf Saudi coaches to deliver tailored training sessions.” 

A two-day training programme was initially held in Riyadh with Golf Saudi’s Mass Participation coaches and other volunteers working in the Saudi disability space. With another two days of training held for other PGA qualified coaches, who are already based in the Kingdom.  

Commenting on both the progress made by the Golf Saudi coaches under his tutelage and the tournament clinics held during the PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers, Mark Taylor, the Head of Development at the European Disabled Golf Association, said: 

“My thanks first of all must go to Golf Saudi for not only undertaking this training and hosting these clinics but for also signing up here today as an official member of EDGA. This bold move demonstrates their courage to follow through on their vision, in terms of making golf an inclusive sport throughout the Kingdom.   

He added: “Thanks must also go to the participants who took the time out to join us, as well as the team at the Asian Tour, without whom this clinic would not be possible.” 

As one of the three pillars of the National Sustainability Strategy, the Social Agenda is focused on the creation of education, employment and leisure opportunities for all Saudis from all age groups. Golf Saudi’s membership of EDGA will therefore sit at the heart of this, by creating an access programme for disabled people to attend their nearest golf courses, regardless of where they’re from within the Kingdom.

Amer Al Rumaih, a Saudi war veteran has been in attendance at this week’s tournament as well as the EDGA clinics. By signing-up to the Social Agenda in early 2021, Al Rumaih was the first beneficiary of the Golf Saudi access programme. In the past twelve months, Al Rumaih has been provided with complimentary lessons and equipment to aid his development within the game and as a result has inspired others to follow his lead.  

Steven Troup, Director of Instruction and Education at Golf Saudi, said: “At Golf Saudi we are firm believers in diversity and inclusion being the basis for not only our organisation’s success but the country’s too. Therefore, we are proud to have not only developed a comprehensive Social Agenda for Saudi citizens but to have also worked so closely with EDGA to develop an access programme that offers the same golfing opportunities for disabled citizens too.” 

Over the next 12 to 18 months, Golf Saudi will continue to work closely with EDGA, as well as golf clubs across the Kingdom to ensure that the new access programme is available to all. With expertise from EDGA, assistance from Saudi golf clubs and dedicated resources from Golf Saudi this new programme will provide opportunities for everyone that wants to try the sport of golf.  

The post Golf Saudi confirmed as full member of the European Disabled Golf Association appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
The MENA Tour deliberately took 16 months between the end of its seventh season in late 2017 and the start of its eight edition in February 2019 to redesign the regional developmental circuit. A further refinement was the decision to condense the current 2020 schedule into essentially three months between late January and mid-April, allowing members the chance to kick-start their year in the Middle East’s best weather before spreading their wings around the world. The MENA Tour suddenly fitted perfectly into golf’s global landscape – until the world suddenly wasn’t the same courtesy of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With travel around the G.C.C becoming increasingly challenging, the MENA Tour’s leadership took the decision on March 5 to postpone the final six events of the 11-tournament season until October-November, reintroducing a mid-summer break as was previously the case. Only time will tell what professional golf, much less global sport, will look like come late 2020 and beyond but two things are certain; the MENA Tour deserves praise for acting so decisively and continues to work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure a smooth resumption when things get back to the new normal, whenever that is. In the meantime, here’s five mid-season takeaways from the 9th edition of the MENA Tour by Arena.

1) Langley leads
What’s $704 between professional golfers? For David Langley (pictured above), it’s a potentially priceless sum. The 25-year-old Englishmen went into the enforced break atop the Order of Merit (OOM) standings, edging compatriot David Hague to a start in the European Tour’s €2.5 million Trophee Hassan II as a result. At the time of press, the June 4-7 stop in Morocco wasn’t among those postponed by the European Tour meaning Langley, the 2017 Open Championship silver medallist (for low amateur honours), has a shot at quickly adding to the $25,499 he’s banked in his five MENA Tour starts this far. The Stokenchurch pro will take plenty of confidence (if not recent form) to wherever his golf travel takes him next after capturing the season-opening Journey to Jordan 1 Championship before finishing 11th and runner-up in Egypt and Oman respectively. Langley then did just enough to hold off Hague for the Morocco spot after Hague won the Royal Golf Club Bahrain Open before finishing 33rd to Langley’s 38th in the Journey to Jordan 2 Championship, the final event before the postponement. $704? A huge sum in the mini-tour scheme of things.

Bailey Gill teed it up on the European Tour courtesy of the MENA Tour. Photo by Joy Chakravarty

2) Gill (just) sneaks in
The MENA Tour’s remit is to provide fledging professionals opportunities at the next level. Unlike David Langley whose aforementioned, European Tour start in Rabat is up in the air, countryman Bailey Gill at least got to play the Oman Open before the coronavirus shut down golf worldwide, the reward for winning the MENA Tour’s Ghala Open in Oman a week earlier. Rounds of 77-70 meant the 22-year-old English lefty missed the cut at Al Mouj Golf but the big-time experience was no doubt priceless. Gill will resume the MENA Tour in 6th place on the OOM.

Arjun Gupta has ground to make up on amateur oom leader Shergo Al Kurdi. Photo by Joy Chakravarty

3) Al Kurdi has company
After Josh Hill’s breakout 2019 campaign including worldwide fame after winning the Al Ain Open, Shergo Al Kurdi has dominated amateur headlines this season. The Jordanian 16-year-old become the first amateur from the G.C.C. to earn Official World Golf Ranking points after his gusty runner-up finish to Langley at the J2J#1 Championship in late January, a huge step towards realising his 2024 Olympic Games dream. But watch for Arjun Gupta (pictured No.3) in the second half of the season. The Dubai-based Indian is second to Al Kurdi in the amateur OOM and will be buoyed by his 4th placing at the Ghala Open. Gupta’s fellow Els Club Dubai range-rat, Toby Bishop, is another cursing the coronavirus enforced pause after a rich run of domestic form. Bishop, 7th in the MENA Tour amateur OOM, signed for a course record 62 en-route to winning the EGF’s Saadiyat Beach Open before capturing The Els Alliance and then leading the Trump Dubai Open before COVID-19 trumped everything.

George Groves, the WR4GD No.1, in action at the DP World Tour Championship, where he lifted the EDGA Dubai finale trophy last November. Photo by Joy Chakravarty

4) Great determination
Sadly lost in these tumultuous times was the MENA Tour’s trailblazing agreement with the European Disabled Golf Association (EDGA). It was set to showcase four players with an official World Ranking for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD) and a handicap of 4.4 or less at the Ras Al Khaimah Open (Tower Links G.C.), the Northern Emirates Open (Al Hamra G.C.) and the Al Ain Classic. Those events were among the six postponed. Here’s hoping the EDGA players are among those on the tee when the MENA Tour resumes.

Englishman David Hague is second behind Langley in the OOM and eyeing the Arena Championship at Ayla Golf Club, the MENA Tour’s destination partner in Aqaba, Jordan. Photo by Joy Chakravarty

5) Smooth resumption
A doff of our cap to the administrators worldwide trying to piece professional golf back together again in these extremely uncertain times. The cryptic scheduling puzzle is no less challenging for the MENA Tour who had sourced a series of European, Asian, Challenge and Alps Tour starts for its best 2020 performers, invites on tours now in a state of flux themselves. Those are complications for another day though. For now, the great news is a determination to get the MENA Tour by Arena back on its feet as quickly and as safely as possible and heading towards the season-ending $100,000 Arena Championship at Ayla Golf Club, the circuit’s Aqaba destination partner. “We are in touch with the members and updating them on a regular basis. The logistics are being tied up right now. We are looking at the window of October-November. The Tour is talking to the venue partners and will release the dates as soon as possible,” the tour said in a statement. A resumption, in any shape or form, will be a grand statement of intent.

The post Officials hope to complete the disrupted 2020 MENA Tour season in October-November appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
The European Tour welcomed the European Disabled Golf Association (EDGA) to the Race to Dubai decider last November. The MENA Tour by Arena has picked up the baton and really run with it.

The regional developmental circuit has reached an agreement with the EDGA that will give players with an official World Ranking for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD) and a handicap of 4.4 or less a chance to tee it up on one of three MENA Tour event in the next two months.

With the blessing of the European Tour, the EDGA held two events on the sidelines of the Scottish Open and DP World Tour Championship last year. The MENA Tour has taken it a step further by welcoming golfers of determination into already established events. Four EDGA-registered players can apply for invites to the Ras Al Khaimah Open (Tower Links G.C., March 29-April 1); the Northern Emirates Open (Al Hamra G.C., April 5-8) and the Al Ain Classic (Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club, April 12-15).

EDGA President Tony Bennett praised the MENA Tour for its latest effort to embrace inclusivity in golf.

“MENA Tour by Arena have shown great vision in making this agreement to include golfers with a disability in this exciting Tour by opening up these invitations,” Bennett said. “The agreement will encourage other organisations to take their responsibility to make golf a truly inclusive game more seriously.

“Such initiatives help create a trickle-down effect and grows awareness of the sport, even for those who have not yet considered golf to be a sport of their choice.”

In Addition to the two European Tour events last year, 12 players competed alongside the professionals in the Australian All Abilities Championship.

“At the MENA Tour by Arena, we want to be proactive in creating awareness and facilitating change, and also play a role in growing the game,” said Wayne Johnson, MENA Tour Tournament Director and Player Liaison Official.

“We are thrilled to announce this opportunity for golfers with disability to play alongside our professionals at three world-class venues in the UAE.

“Last season, the MENA Tour, along with our main sponsors Arena Middle East & Asia, announced we will refrain from using single-use plastic water bottle as part of our commitment to the environment, and this agreement with the EDGA is another example of us being socially responsible.”

Letters of application should be sent to the EDGA Director of Tournaments, Manon Eggermont at manon@edgagolf.com. The closing date for applications for EDGA members for each tournament will be one week before the closing date of entries for the tournament.

After wins for Englishman David Langey and Frenchman Sebastien Gros at the Journey to Jordan #1 Championship and NEWGIZA Open respectively, the MENA Tour moves to Oman this week for the Ghala Open in Muscat.

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By Kent Gray
George Groves lived up to his world No.1 billing and felt like it too, praising the organisers for their tour-level hospitality after capturing the inaugural European Disabled Golfers Association (EDGA) Dubai Finale title on Saturday.

Played on the sidelines of the 11th DP World Tour Championship at JGE, the Englishman backed up his opening 77 on Earth with an 82 in the final round. Groves’ 159 aggregate was 15 over par for the 36 holes, three strokes better than Chad Pfeifer who applied some final-round pressure with a best of the day 79.

Englishman Mike Browne, two shots back in second place overnight, was disqualified for signing for an incorrect score. It was the only blight on an otherwise memorable championship, especially for Groves, the leading playing in the USGA and R&A sanctioned World Ranking for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD) ratings.

“It’s fantastic. I’m going to go home very proud of myself, celebrate with my friends and family. It will be really good,” said Groves who has Erb’s Palsy which leaves him with 20 percent strength in his left arm after a medical accident during birth.

“The putts went in. The greens are very, very hard to read. They are very quick. They are the quickest greens I’ve found all year, and I knew it would be a struggle coming in today and yesterday. Feels incredible, and I’m just happy to get the win.

Winner by three strokes ?@georgegroves21 is the @edgagolf Dubai Finale champion!#DPWTC pic.twitter.com/GimlUukHFY

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 23, 2019

“Being in Dubai and playing in the final was unbelievable, I wouldn’t mind coming here and playing golf again, that’s for sure. The European Tour has been fantastic with us and given us all immense support. They have treated us like true professionals like they would with the big stars on the tour. It’s incredible that they invited us over to play on the same course and same conditions, it was a very good experience.”

George Groves with Ismail Sharif (left) and Khalid Al Awar (right) at the prize-giving.

Danny van Otterdijk, SVP Group Communications at DP World said: “Congratulations to George for winning the EDGA Dubai Finale and well done to the rest of the field who really animated the tournament this weekend.

“We’ve seen some fantastic golf and DP World, together with the European Tour, are privileged to have hosted the EDGA players alongside the pros competing in the DP World Tour Championship this year.

“Inclusion sits at the heart of DP World’s values and is integral to both our business and our sponsorships. One of the main objectives of our golf programme is to inspire people of all ages, backgrounds, genders and abilities to get involved in the game. We believe this tournament has done exactly that.”

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