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

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The Arab Golf Federation is hosting the 42nd Pan Arab Men’s Golf Championship in Casablanca, Morocco, starting today.

Representing the UAE are Khalid Yousuf, Ahmad Skaik, Rashed Al Emadi, and Mohammed Skaik.

Organised by the Royal Moroccan Golf Federation, the event will be held at Casa Green Golf Club in Casablanca and will see 13 nations  — represented by teams of four players — compete in both team and individual competitions.

The Championship is run over three rounds with the three lowest scores counting towards the team score.

Traveling with Team UAE are Emirates Golf Federation Vice Chairman Abdulla Alhashmi, General Secretary Khalid Mubarak Al Shamsi, and General Director Akram Skaik. Captain Yousuf and UAE’s No. 1 amateur Ahmad Skaik will team up with two young talents in Al Emadi and Mohammed Skaik.

“My team and I are looking forward to this event,” said Yousuf. “It’s a great event and we look at it as one of the signature events in the calendar because we are all very proud to represent the UAE. I am very confident that our team will be finishing on the podium as Ahmad and Rashid are in good shape with their game coming off having the experience playing some Challenge Tour events.”

Ahmad Skaik. EGF

After playing five European Challenge Tour events in the past three months, Ahmad Skaik will be looking forward to teeing it up against his fellow amateur golfers.

“it feels very good to be back playing in the Men’s Arab Championship after three months of Challenge Tour events,” he said. “I learnt a lot from my travels and especially from playing on European courses. The experience much tighter course should give me a lot of confidence for this week in Casablanca. I’m starting to feel that my game is on the right track, and it is a matter of time before everything is clicking. It’s always a privilege to compete for the UAE National Team and I think that we have the right squad this week to do well.”

Both Al Emdia and Mohammad Skaik are representing the UAE in back-to-back Pan Arab Men’s Golf Championships.

“I hope that the experience I gained this year by training more and playing in the Abu Dhabi Challenge Tour will help me score well for the team and return home with a medal,” Al Emadi said.

Casa Green Golf Club is a 7,100-yard championship course, designed by architect Jeremy Pern.

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All 22 golf clubs in the UAE have signed The R&A’s Women in Golf Charter to demonstrate their collective commitment to growing golf among women and girls in the region.

The UAE is the first ever country to sign all clubs to the charter.

The Women in Golf Charter leads The R&A’s drive to increase the number of women and girls participating in golf and to encourage more opportunities for women to work within the golf industry.

Since its launch in 2018, more than 1,300 organisations in 75 countries have signed the Charter.   

The Women in Golf Charter aims to inspire an industry-wide commitment to developing a more inclusive culture within golf around the world and to enable more women and girls to flourish at all levels of the sport.

The Women in Golf Charter specifically aims to:

• Strengthen the focus on gender balance and provide a united position for the golf industry
• Commit national federations and organisations to support measures targeted at increasing participation of women, girls and families in golf
• Call on signatories to take positive action to support the recruitment, retention and progression of women working at all levels of the sport
• Set individual targets for national federations for participation and membership and annual reporting of progress
• Develop an inclusive environment for women and girls within golf

Adoption of the Charter requires signatories to make meaningful and tangible pledges to build on current initiatives and develop new projects that will focus on encouraging more women and girls to play golf and stay within the sport, while also empowering women to enjoy successful careers working within the golf industry.

Some Charter commitments that have been made by golf clubs in the UAE include:

• Encourage more women and girls’ exposure on website and social media channels.
• Providing training and education for staff and stakeholders to promote diversity and inclusion and eliminate barriers or biases that may exist.
• Create a pathway to encourage women to continue to participate in the sport from new women academy members through to membership of the club.
• Establish quarterly reviews between the charter champion and management to evaluate the delivery of existing commitments.

Jackie Davidson, Director of Golf Development at The R&A and Neal Graham, Development Manager — Middle East and India at The R&A, outlined how the golf industry can work together to achieve these goals.

Davidson said: “The Women in Golf Charter has really galvanised the golf industry around a shared vision for golf and driven change. Since 2018 we have seen over 1,300 organisations in 75 countries, including the UAE, make their commitment to the Charter and the development of women and girls’ golf. We are already seeing the benefits of this in golf participation numbers around the world, a trend that The R&A and all signatories have a responsibility towards continuing.”

Graham added: “The UAE has a proud history of supporting golf at the very highest levels including hosting professional and elite amateur championships for the world’s best golfers. But equally important is providing the opportunity for everyone to experience and enjoy golf. The R&A is delighted that all 22 golf clubs in the UAE are signatories of the Women in Golf Charter which will position golf as a welcoming sport for women to engage with and contribute the further success of golf in the country.”

Other organisations who have pledged their support as signatories of the Charter include the Emirates Golf Federation, IMG and the DP World Tour.

General Abdulla Alhashmi, Vice Chairman of the EGF, said: “The Emirates Golf Federation is proud that the UAE is the first country in the world to have all its golf clubs signed up to the Women in Golf Charter. With this being Women’s Golf Month it is a perfect time to celebrate having all affiliated UAE golf clubs signing the charter and collaborating to encourage women’s golf participation at every level including professionally. We look forward to continuing to work with all associations and governing bodies within the sport to grow the game.”

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Al Emadi competing at Taiwan Amateur Golf Championship
UAE National Team member Rashid Al Emadi will participate in the 30th Taiwan Amateur Golf Championship at Pei Tou Kuo Hua Golf & Country Club. The event will have both individual and team leaderboards, with the action beginning on Monday. “I am honored to be here in Taiwan this week,” Al Emadi said. “As always, I will try my best and use my training to compete this week.”

Noel O’Leary and Steve Drake. JGE

Spicy evening of golf at JGE
Things got spicy at Jumeirah Golf Estates as the inaugural Thursday Curry Club event took place last week. Some 24 players took part on the Fire Course, followed by a meal at Kasturi restaurant. The winners were Noel O’Leary and Steve Drake with a net score of 30 for a six-under total. David Tarbotton and Tommy Carr were second.

Ismail Zein. SGSC

Ismail takes the Captains Cay plaudits
Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club and club captain Ravi AE hosted the 11th Captains Day on Sunday and it was Zein Ismail who emerged victorious with 36 Stableford points, ahead of David Murphy and Amir Inam.

Kieran Casey and Paul Ludlam. JGE

Casey and Ludlam win Jumeriah Pairs
The latest Jumeriah Pairs event took place on the Fire Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates over the weekend, with Kieran Casey and Paul Ludlam claiming the Better-Ball Stableford crown, with 48 points. Imran Dadabhoy and Nadeem Malak were runners-up.

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The Emirates Golf Federation held the Order of Merit Championship at Al Ain Equestrian Shooting & Golf Club over the weekend, with Rami Samawi and Intissar Rich winning the Men’s and Ladies’ Divisions respectively. Aayan Dadabhoy claimed the Junior Division.   

The EGF Order of Merit Championship was a three-day event for the men and ladies, which awared World Amateur Golf Ranking points, while the juniors competed over two days.

Samawi shot 212 to take the men’s title, while Rich’s identical score took the ladies’ crown.

“The first two days the wind was tough to play in but I scrambled well all weekend in order to win,” Intissar said. “The golf course was in great condition and it was fun to play with the best ladies in the EGF Order of Merit”.

Dadabhoy came out on top in the mixed juniors in a one-hole playoff against Rayan Ahmed after both finished with a 145 total.

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Hannah Alan. EGF

The Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) hosted the March EGF Monthly Medal at Al Hamra Golf Club supported by eGolf Megastore on Saturday.
With a total of 36 points, Mohamed Darwish won the overall Stableford, followed by Yaser Al Marzooqi. Rashed Al Emadi took Division A, and Division B was led by Shawqi Sajwani.  Hannah Alan won the Elite Division Ladies, followed by Jamie Camero.
In Elite Division – Men, Mohammed Skaik came out as the winner. In the Senior Division, for those who are 50 years of age or older, Amir Barki collected 36 points to win the division.

Turnbull and Mujarkech pair up

Jumeirah Golf Estates hosted the UAE Qualifier event for the International Pairs, an international tournament played over five continents, with the top national amateur teams representing their country or territory to be in with a chance to compete in the Grand Finals.

Thirty-eight pairs played the Betterball format over the Fire Course on Saturday.

Oliver Turnball (7) and Haiyan Mujarkech (12) were Saturdays winning pair with a score of 46 Stableford points. The runners-up determined through a countback and by just one point were Adam Hodgkins (7) and Zak El Taher (11). David Marshall and Russell Wilson picked up the third-place spot.

Dorin-Mirel Matieu (8) and his daughter Anca (+1) won in the mixed pairs division with 39 points. The runners-up were Gerhard and Jane Vorster. Cavit and Dilek Yildez came third with 36 points. The penultimate qualifier stage of the International Pairs event is being held at The Montgomerie on March 31.

Seo takes Ladies Monthly Medal at Dubai Creek

Yujung Seo. Dubai Creek

Yujung Seo won the third Ladies Monthly Medal at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, with a seven-under 64. Taking first place in Division A Shiba Wahid, and the Division B winner was Ya Zhang who scored a 68 net (-3).

De Vries and Roeterdink secure Laidies Pairs Scramble

Jumeirah Golf Estates Pairs Scramble winners. JGE

Jacqueline de Vires and Willemijn Roeterdink were the overall winners of the Ladies Pairs Scramble Event held on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates. The runners-up by one shot and determined through a count-back were Ritta Saarinen and Daisy Tuliao, ahead of Jane Vorster and Deirdre Joan Kemp, with a net five-under 67.

Sulaiman takes Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club Championship

Ramli Sulaiman. SGSC

Ramli Sulaiman took top spot in the 15th Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club Championship on Sunday, winning by two shots from Chris Bagge, with Sami Butt third.

Bainbridge on top at JGE

The Jumeirah Golf Estates winners. JGE

Jumeirah Golf Estates held its annual Club Championship over the Fire and Earth course in a 36-hole two-day event, with 135 members competing. The men’s division was won by David Bainbridge (143), one ahead of Raghav Malik. The Ladies’ Champion was Anca Mateiu, scoring 148. James Finnigan was the Seniors Division Champion

Camero claims JGE Ladies Amateur Open

Jamie Camero. JGE

Jamie Camero claimed the 2023 Jumeirah Golf Estates Ladies Amateur Open. The 18-hole event played over the Fire Course at JGE and was the final qualifier event of the 2022-2023 Emirates Golf Federation Ladies Order of Merit. Camero’s 68 was three shots clear of the rest of the field. The runner-up of the gross division was Anca Mateiu. Bettina Smith from JGE won the Net Division with a 65.

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The 2023 GCC Golf Championship is the 25th edition for the men and the 14th edition for the Under-18s.

Six teams from across the GCC took part, including Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and host Bahrain.

After winning back-to-back Presidents Cups, Ahmad Skaik led the men’s team, and led from the front by winning the Individual Silver Medal.

Along with Skaik, Khalifa Al Masaood, Hasan Al Musharrekh, and Saif Al Hadrami won the Team Bronze Medal for the UAE.

The Under-18 team of Rashid Al Jassmy, Rashid Al Naqbi and Mohammad Skaik brought home the team Bronze Medal.In the Men’s Division, Qatar had a strong GCC Championship capturing back-to-back Team and Individual Gold Medals. Second place was the Bahrain team, and the UAE men’s team came back home with the bronze medal.

Saleh Alkaabi of Qatar won the Individual Gold Medal ahead of Skaik.

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The 11th edition certainly lived up to the hype as Skaik triumphed after an 18-hole playoff for his third Presidents Cup crown in four years.

Alai Al Emadi also defended her title in the Ladies Division, while Rashed al Naqbi won the Junior Division.    

The Emirates Golf Federation-hosted event saw the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Social Development’s Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan join Shaikh Fahim Bin Sultan Al Qasimi and chief sponsor HSBC UAE’s Najeeb Busheri for the ceremonies.

Players fought it out in junior, ladies, senior  and elite divisions alongside the Future Falcons 9-Hole Championship on the Garden Course, as well as the Future Falcons skills challenge.

Following a scoring error on Sunday night, Ahmad Skaik and Hassan Al Musharrekh were called back to the course on Wednesday for the playoff. Skaik triumphed with a 2-under 70.

“Golf is a crazy sport, and you must be able to adapt to certain things to overcome the hurdles that the sport throws at you,” he said. “This weekend was a great example of that. It is great to be back on the course full-time. I wanted to use this Championship to show everyone that I’m healthy again and ready for the rest of the year, I think I did that. I want to thank Hassan, he’s a great competitor and a brother of mine on the National Team, we have a lot to accomplish together this year. It’s always an honour to win the UAE Presidents Cup and I am grateful for all the support that I have received from the EGF and entire the UAE. I’d like to thank my family, coaches, and of course my teammates for pushing me and making me a better person on and off the course.”

Behind Al Musharrekh, Saif Thabit rounded out the podium with a total gross score of 155.

Defending her title and winning the Ladies Division for the third year straight was Al Emadi, whose 165 total was good enough for top prize, while Al Naqbi walked away with the Junior Division title ahead of Sultan Al Jassmy

General Abdullah Alhashmi, Vice-Chairman of the EGF had this to say following the championship. “Congratulations to all of the winners. On behalf of the Emirates Golf Federation, we would like to thank HSBC for its continued support of this amazing championship. This weekend is a true celebration of UAE golf. Thank you to Abu Dhabi Golf Club and to The Westin, Abu Dhabi for hosting our players and families. Lastly, thank you to Abu Dhabi Sports Council and eGolf Megastore for enhancing our championship. UAE golf is moving forward, we have a lot of work to do, but together with our partners and stakeholders we will achieve our goals.”

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Chief Executive Officer for the UAE of Presidents Cup sponsor HSBC Bank Middle East, Abdulfattah Sharaf, said: “Opening up a world of opportunity is HSBC’s purpose and this is a tournament which does exactly that for talented Emirati golfers when they take to the field at the heart of the nation’s capital.”

This has already been an exciting year for UAE golf, with four DP World Tour events held across the UAE, and the EGF has added a new Future Falcons Skills Challenge to this year’s activities. The Future Falcons Skills Challenge will allow beginning level children and families to participate in a fun competition during the UAE Presidents Cup. This skills competition will consist of chipping, putting, and driving competitions that will take place on Sunday during the final round of play.

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General Abdullah Alhashmi, the Vice Chairman of the Emirates Golf Federation, has been appointed to the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation’s (APGC) Board of Directors.

He joins Bones Floro from the Philippines, Hong Kong’s Yoshihiro Nishi and Australian Sarah Chia as new appointees commencing two-year terms in office.

The quartet joins existing board members Taimur Hassan Amin (Pakistan, Chairman), Philip Hassall (New Zealand, Vice Chairman and Treasurer), John Hopkins (Australia, Championship Committee Chairman), Ishwar Achanta (India), Nicki Hirayama (Japan), Zhang Xiaoning (China) and Kang Hyung-mo (Korea).

Standing down from the board are Rae-Vadee T Suwan (Thailand), Mohammed Al Naimi (Qatar) and Dato’ Rabeahtul Aloya Abbas (Malaysia).

Taimur Hassan said: “With the talent available to us among our member countries, selecting new board members is always a challenge.

“I’m conscious of the balance and combination needed on the board to represent the cultures and regions, the relationships with our partners from The R&A and Augusta National, plus the golfing background of the Board members.

“I am very pleased with the selection of the new board members and am delighted they all accepted my invitation to join the APGC Board.

“We are fortunate to be able to call upon such experienced individuals, all of whom have been involved in golf for many years and are well respected in their home countries and around the region.

“These are exciting times for Asian golf in general and the APGC in particular and we very much look forward to progressing on various fronts with contributions from the new board members.”

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