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.

The post One month to go: Abu Dhabi set to host World Amateur Team Championships appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Representing the UAE will be Khalid Yousuf, Ahmad Skaik, and Abdullah Al Musharrekh.

The UAE tee off on Wednesday at 1.36pm local time (3.36pm UAE) on the Golf de Saint-Nom-La-Bretèche course, before heading to Le National on Thursday. The UAE have been paired with Serbia and the Dominican Republic for the opening two rounds.

Akram Skaik, the General Director of the Emirates Golf Federation, will be the UAE team’s non-playing captain, as Yousuf takes part in his ninth Eisenhower Trophy event. Al Musharrekh returns for his first appearance since 2012, with Skaik — the World Amateur No. 63 — rounding out the team.

“It is always a pleasure for the UAE to participate in the World Amateur Team Championship. The golf courses here in France are in great condition and we are expecting to see some great scores. Our players are ready to perform to the best of their ability. Having expectations for this event is always difficult because we are competing against the best amateur golfers in the world. It is important for our players to use the experience gained from this championship to continue their golf journey”, said General Abdullah Alhashmi the Vice Chairman of the Emirates Golf Federation.

The 2022 WATC is run by the International Golf Federation (IGF) and hosted by the French Golf Federation.  The event is historically known as the most prestigious team championship in amateur golf. The best two scores from teams of two or three players are calculated every 18 holes of stroke play.

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The post UAE ready for tee off at World Amateur Team Championship in France appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
A desire to showcase the Fire course at Jumeriah Golf Estates to a global audience by transitioning the European Tour’s Race to Dubai decider across from the club’s more famed sister course never advanced beyond the now historical planning stage. But Fire is finally set to move out of Earth’s shadow with the 32nd Eisenhower Trophy (men) and 31st Espirito Santo Trophy (women) to be staged on the desert links in 2023. After an unsuccessful bid in 2008, the Emirates Golf Federation, in concert with Dubai Golf and Falcon and Associates, won hosting rights at the International Golf Federation’s biennial meeting in Lausanne last month, edging the Singapore Golf Association in a close vote. It will be the first time the World Amateur Teams Championships will be held in the Middle East.

“We are very proud to welcome the best amateurs from around the world to the UAE to play on the Greg Norman-designed Fire course at JGE,” said Chris May, CEO of Dubai Golf which manages JGE, Emirates Golf Club and Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club. “The EGF should be commended for their commitment to the sport. This gives all young aspiring golfers from the UAE and the GCC region something to focus on and work towards. It’s an amazing opportunity to help take amateur golf to the next level in this region.”

The post QUICKSHOT: Jumeirah Golf Estates appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The 18-year-old fired a final round 70 on the O’Meara course at Carton House in Ireland to finish the World Amateur Teams Championship in a share of eighth place individually on Saturday.

A sizzling 64 had seen the Dubai-domiciled Indian lead after the opening round and his three-under finish – after second and third rounds of 72 and 69 respectively on Carton House’s Montgomerie layout – left him -15 for the championship, eight shots behind individual champion Alejandro Del Rey. The Spaniard stormed home with a closing 65 to edge Japan’s Takumi Kayana by a stroke in a competition where there his global kudos but no actual silverware.

RELATED: Thomas underlines ability to go seriously low, sits atop individual standings at Eisenhower Trophy

The Danish team of identical twins Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard and John Axelson won the overall title with a -39 aggregate of 541, a shot clear of the United States with Del Rey’s closing effort helping Spain claim the bronze medal. Overnight leaders New Zealand slipped to fourth with Italy rounding out the top five.

India finished 31st of the 72 teams in Ireland. Thomas’ -15 effort alone would have seen India place 24th but the format dictates the best two of three scores count each day and Kshitij Naveed Kaul and Aadil Bedi ended +6 and +15 respectively.

Still, it was a major confidence boost for the MENA Tour history maker ahead of next month’s Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in Singapore, especially after a year that promised so much but has produced steady if unspectacular results.

“I played solid this week which was nice…it was nice to start scoring again,” Thomas told Golf Digest Middle East.

“I’m starting to see my practice game come into tournament play so looking forward to the Asia Pacific in October and feeling good, ready to head back [to Dubai] and spend a little bit of time in the books [school work] and get my game ready for Singapore.”

The Asia-Pacific will be played on the new Tanjong course at Sentosa Golf Club from October 4-7. Thomas finished T-35 on +5 at last year’s tournament at Royal Wellington in New Zealand after rounds of 73-71-73-72 and will be motivated to better that with the champion in Singapore earning an invitation to the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club and a place in The 148th Open at Royal Portrush.

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates finished 61st in Ireland, an improvement of four places on their effort in Mexico two years ago.

Khalid Al Jasmi was the best performed Emirati with a +8 total following rounds of 73-75-80-70, the two-under final round on the Montgomerie course the obvious individual highlight. Ahmad Skaik finished +22 (T-147th individually) and Saif Thabet +42 (197th) with best rounds of 77 and 81 respectively.

RELATED: Khalid Al Jasmi’s Eisenhower Trophy longevity is impressive, once it becomes clear

Qatar was the best of the Arab Peninsular teams in T-53rd with Saudi Arabia 57th, lead by Khalid Attieh on +13 while Othman Almulla and Ali Alsakha finished  +14 and +24 respectively.

The post Eisenhower Trophy top-10 heightens Thomas’ Masters and Open Championship dream appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Ryan Herrington
Denmark had played in the World Amateur Team Championship 24 previous times but never won the biennial competition that pits the countries of the world in a stroke-play event. But on Saturday at Ireland’s Carton House Golf Club, all that changed thanks to the standout play of a pair of identical twins: Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard.

RELATED: Dubai’s Rayhan Thomas finishes T-8th; UAE 61st at Eisenhower

With nine holes to play in the 72-hole tournament, Denmark, the United States, Spain and New Zealand were all tied for the team title at 34 under par. The 17-year-old Hojgaard then made eight birdies between them on the O’Meara Course to beat the Americans by one stroke, the closest finish in the WATC since 1968.

Nicolai finished the day with a seven-under 66 while Rasmus shot a 67. Their teammate, John Axelsen, shot a non-counting 69 in the play-three-count-two format. The Danes’ final score was a 39-under 541 total.

“I feel wonderful,” said Nicolai, the 2018 European Amateur champion. “This is a dream come true for all of us. I had a tough start to this tournament, so I was just trying to play some good rounds to help the team. I did that the last two rounds so this is perfect. This is the biggest team event we could have won and to do it with Rasmus is perfect. … This is just wonderful.”

A final-round 66 from Cole Hammer, an incoming freshman at the University of Texas and a 69 from USC senior Justin Suh allowed the American squad to pass Spain by two strokes and finish alone in second place. It’s the 26th time Team USA has finished first, second or third in 31 editions of the WATC.

“I’m really proud of my guys,” said USA captain Tom O’Toole. “They played their hearts out. Like we said most of the week, we didn’t get some putts to fall but a lot of teams can say that. You can’t say enough about our guys’ effort. Super.”

The consolation for Spain? Alejandro “Alex” Del Rey was the low individual scorer, an unofficial honor, at 23-under 267. He and England’s Matthew Jordan shot the low scores in the fourth round at eight-under 65.

The post Identical twins give Denmark its first World Amateur Team Championship title appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
Rayhan Thomas’ ability to go seriously low when it counts is not a new phenomenon.

The Dubai prodigy was just 16 when he signed for an opening 65 – and all three rounds in the 60s – en-route to becoming the first amateur winner of a MENA Tour event at the Dubai Creek Open in September 2016.

Fast-forward to his defence of that historic title this past September and Thomas flirted with golf’s mythical mark of 59 in the second round before putting his autograph on a 10-under 61.

RELATED: Watch Rayhan Thomas’ world record-equalling round at Dubai Creek

He eventually settled for a joint runner-up finish at his beloved home event but had the not insignificant consolation of equalling the world record for successive birdies in a professional event – nine –  in that magical 61.

Yesterday the now 18-year-old Indian arguably trumped it all with a nine-under 64 at the Eisenhower Trophy in Ireland to sit atop the individual standings at the biennial world amateur teams championship.

WIN: Desert Swing and Ladies Classic Pro-Am spots in the Golf Digest Middle East Amateur Series

Dane John Axelsen also fired a 64 but he was an eight-under effort on Carton House’s Montgomerie layout; Thomas’ round was achieved on the club’s par 73 O’Meara course.

Thomas’ score could have been better too – he bogeyed the 16th hole but showed his bounce back-ability with an eagle three at the very next to almost single handily propel India into contention.

India is tied third with Switzerland in the teams competition heading into Thursday’s second round at -9 in a format where the best two of three scores count towards a nations total each day. Kshitij Naveed Kaul contributed India’s other counting score with an even par 73.

Denmark leads on -12 thanks to Axelsen’s 64 and Rasmus Hojgaard’s 68 while hosts Ireland are second on -10.

“This is by far one of the best rounds I’ve ever played, I mean it was just clinical,” Thomas told GolfDigestme.com afterwards.

“I played really well, made the putts this time, hit it solid and did it when it counts which is awesome. I can’t wait for the tomorrow.”

Thomas is off at 12.48pm (3.48pm UAE time) in his second round today on the Montgomerie course and knows the trick now is to back up his magnificent start.

He started with a birdie hiss on Wednesday and roared out in 31 strokes with five more gains. There were further birdies on the 10th and 13th before the bogey blip was quickly forgotten when he left a 275 yard three wood second into the par 5 17th exactly 13 yards shot before promptly draining his putt from off the green.

“It was a great start to the week,” Thomas said in his typically understated manner.

“So yeah, this is a great little boost for the week but it’s just the start, still three days and a lot of golf to be played so keep playing like this and we’ll be fine.”

The UAE, meanwhile, start the second round in a share of 61st place on +10 after a solid even par 73 on the O’Meara course from Khalid Al Jasmi and an 83 from Ahmad Skaik. Saif Thabet had a non-counting 87.

Qatar leads the Arab nation battle in a share of 41st place on +2 while Saudi Arabia is T-56 on +6 with counting rounds from Othman Almulla (73) and Ali Alsakha (77) on the par 72 Montgomerie.

The post Thomas underlines ability to go seriously low, sits atop individual standings at Eisenhower Trophy appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

It transpires the UAE national team captain is known regionally as Khalid Yousuf (including in every Emirates Golf Federation media release we’ve ever received) and was listed as such for his first four appearances at the World Amateur Teams Championship.

But it turns out the +1.3 handicapper’s actual surname is Al Jasmi, the moniker by which he goes on social media and has been listed as in his past two appearances at the biennial Eisenhower championship.

Confused? So were we (apologies Khalid!). But we got there in the end and can confirm that when the 29-year-old tees it up at Carton House in Ireland tomorrow in the 31st Eisenhower Trophy, it will mark his seventh appearance at the world’s premier teams’ championship.

Smooth as silk … I wish #golf #dubai #uae

A post shared by KAJ (@khalid_al_jasmi) on May 5, 2016 at 9:51am PDT

I should have come here years ago #heavenonearth

A post shared by KAJ (@khalid_al_jasmi) on Sep 3, 2018 at 11:51am PDT

RELATED: Dubai-domiciled Rayhan Thomas ready to do India proud at Eisenhower Trophy

And that, once you finally nut it out, is mightily impressive as the UAE have only contested the Eisenhower Trophy nine times in total.

Yousuf/Al Jasmi has played 21 rounds in his six appearances (three times the event was reduced to 54 holes due to inclement weather, thus the usual number of rounds) since his debut as a 14-year-old in Puerto Rico in 2004. His best score was a 71 in his last round – in Japan in 2014 – while he boasts an average of 79.71.

He’ll hope to bring his personal average down further in Ireland where the UAE are out to better their previous Eisenhower best of 50th place at the 2008 tournament in Adelaide.

“This event not only allows me but the rest of the UAE National golf program the opportunity to compete at the highest level against some the games future stars,” Yousuf/Al Jasmi said.

“This gives our team the chance to meet other golfers from around the world while making connections with other federations that we can use to help develop our program in the UAE.”

Yousuf/Al Jasmi didn’t play two years ago but lefty Ahmed Skaik and Saif Thabet are back from Mexico where the UAE finished 65th.

UAE’S TOP NATIONAL GOLFERS DUBLIN BOUND FOR THE WORLD AMATEUR TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP – @IGFgolf – https://t.co/bl1zgefVjL pic.twitter.com/URHNaJI7pA

— Emirates Golf Fed. (@EGFuaegolf) September 4, 2018

Thabet, now 30 and playing off scratch, was the UAE’s best in Mexico, firing rounds of 86-78-80-78 to finish 36 over par in 174th place individually, two strokes better than now 21-year-old +2.2 handicapper Skaik.

Yousuf/Al Jasmi leads the UAE off on Wednesday on Carton House’s O’Meara layout (the 72-hole strokeplay event will also be played on the Montgomerie course) at 1.21pm local time (4.21pm UAE time). Skaik follows 11 minutes later at 4.32pm UAE time ahead of Thabet at 4.43pm UAE time.

For the record (why waste all that research) the UAE first played the Eisenhower Trophy in 2000 with Edward Hesson Jnr, Vikramjeet Singh Judge, Sung Joo Cho and Walid Al-Attar finishing 51st.

RELATED: Meet Othman Almulla who is set to represent Saudi Arabia at his third WATC

The post Khalid Yousuf’s Eisenhower Trophy longevity is impressive, once it becomes clear appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

“After the 2016 Eisenhower, I kind of realised how big the event was,” the 18-year-old Dubai-based Indian No.1 said of the World Amateur Teams Championship.

RELATED: Win Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, Omega Dubai Desert Classic and Omega Dubai Ladies Classic Pro-Am spots

“I saw the names of the people who have played it so set that as a goal, to try and make the 2018 team. And I’m glad I did because I’m 100 per cent sure this is going to be a great event.”

RELATED: Meet Othman Almulla, the Saudi amateur star about to play his third Eisenhower Trophy

Fast-forward to 8.07am (11.07am UAE time) on Wednesday and it will be mission accomplished for Thomas when he tees it up in the 31st Eisenhower Trophy at Carton House in Ireland, following in the spike marks of many of the game’s biggest names including Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.

The MENA Tour trailblazer has been grouped with Brazilian Henrik Machado and Dutchman Nordin van Tilburg for the first two rounds of the 72-hole teams’ strokeplay event, on the O’Meara course Wednesday and Carton House’s Montgomerie layout on Thursday.

Thomas is joined by Aadil Bedi and Kshitij Naveed Kaul in Ireland after the trio helped India finish seventh in the recent Asian Games in Indonesia.

Bedi and Thomas placed T-13 individually in Jakarta and while Thomas slipped from fifth place after 36 holes, he’s more than happy with his form heading into the Eisenhower.

“I think I played really well for two days and even struck it well on the third day in the middle part [of his round] but it just wasn’t my week,” Thomas said after signing for rounds of 71-69-73-73 at Pondok Indah Golf & Country Club.

“I still think it is a good trend going forward and I think the game is finally coming together nicely, it’s not very far away, it’s just around the corner.”

India’s performance came in for some harsh criticism by the country’s sports media but Thomas typically handed the barbs with his usual level-headedness.

“There’s not much more we could have given our country I don’t think. All of the team wanted to win real bad but, you know, that’s the way it goes, you win some, you lose some.

“It’s an experience I’ll never forget, staying in the [Olympic Games style] village with the team and watching what all the other athletes do as well, just being around that atmosphere was amazing. Seeing how focused and dedicated all these athletes are was quite inspiring.”

As well as Thomas, Middle East interest in Ireland this week will centre around the Arab battle within the wider world battle between the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Khalid Al Jasmi, Ahmad Skaik and Saif Thabet will represent the UAE. Qatar’s team is Saleh Al Kaabi, Jaham Al Kuwan and Ali Al Shahrani while Saudi will send out Othman Almulla, Ali Hassan Alsakha and Khalid Waleed Attieh.

The biennial Eisenhower Trophy, named after the former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, was first played on the Old Course at St. Andrews in 1958. Australia claimed the inaugural title two years before Team U.S. won the first of their record 15 titles at fabled Merion in Pennsylvania. Nicklaus was part of that 1960s team and still holds the individual scoring record.

Jon Rahm (2014), Rickie Fowler (2008), Ryan Moore (2004) and Hal Sutton (1980) are other high profile players to claim leading individual honours while Tom Kite, Lanny Wadkins, Curtis Strange, Scott Hoch, Michael Campbell and Luke Donald have all played the Eisenhower.

USA have recorded eight runner-up finishes to go with their 15 wins. Australia and Great Britain & Ireland have the next best record with four wins although England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland now play individually.

Canada, Japan, Sweden, New Zealand, France, The Netherlands and Scotland are the only other teams to have hoisted the Eisenhower Trophy – all once each.

The post Thomas poised to walk in the spike marks of golf’s greatest at 31st Eisenhower Trophy appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
As Saudi Arabia’s leading amateur for more than a decade, Othman Almulla has known his share of golfing highs.

How about qualifying for the 2007 Omega Dubai Desert Classic as a 20-year-old, an unforgettable experience transformed into the surreal when he got to meet Tiger Woods. Almulla also played the 2008 Qatar Masters by winning the Qatar amateur and made a third European Tour appearance via an invite to the 2010 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship before heading off to university in Houston.

RELATED: Thomas poised to walk in the spike marks of golf’s greatest at 31st Eisenhower Trophy

This week the now 32-year-old from Dhahran in Saudi’s eastern province will proudly represent his country in a third and potentially final Eisenhower Trophy. It doesn’t get any better than teeing it up in the world amateur teams championship except for Almulla, it really does. Regardless of how he fares at Carton House G.C. in Ireland from September 4-8, the fun is only just beginning in what is easily the most exciting period for the game in the Kingdom.

Almulla isn’t a confirmed starter yet but given the service to his country’s golf emergence, you suspect he will be among the field for Saudi’s European Tour bow at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club from Jan. 31- Feb.3. There he will rub shoulders with world No.1 Dustin Johnson and Masters champion Patrick Reed who have already committed to the event. Almulla has already savoured playing alongside Ernie Els and Ladies European Tour star Amy Boulden in a promotional event to unveil Saudi’s inclusion in the Desert Swing rota, a press op also headlined by the cult figure that is Andrew “Beef” Johnson.

“I’ve had an amazing ride these last 15 years and I’m over the moon about the Saudi Event in January,“ Almulla said. “I can’t wait to share my country with everyone who comes to visit, either to play in the event or to watch, as well as everyone watching it on TV. I don’t know if I’ll get a start yet but hopefully if I do, I’ll do my best to represent Saudi.”

For proof of Almulla’s dedication to doing the Saudi Golf Federation proud, you need only follow the +3-handicapper on social media where he keeps followers regularly updated on his progress, often from Rolling Hills G.C. as this post highlights:

Always pushing myself to the next level and trying to find different ways to get better. Today’s post is a little look into my daily schedule. 1st pic: 30 min warmup routine specific to my physical needs to get me in the best condition to swing the club consistently from day to day created by @cgmperformance. 2nd: A big key to becoming better is to train and not practice, my coach @zanescotlandgolf advocates this every time we do work. So instead of number of ball to hit when working on changes we always talk about sets of 3, with first two balls being a drill then the last ball being a full swing. 3rd:Short game work on the course. 4th: Play the course trying to focus only on scoring. Feel free to send any questions! #nike #golf #ksa #saudiarabia#golfstagram #golfswing

A post shared by Othman Almulla (@othman.almulla.golf) on Aug 13, 2018 at 10:00am PDT

Almulla is coached by MENA Tour life member Zane Scotland and built up to Ireland with a camp at Scotland’s academy with Saudi team-mates Khalid Attieh, and Ali Alsakha ahead of the Eisenhower.  The trio will look to climb above the 64th (of 70) and 55th (of 65) placings Almulla helped achieved in his two previous world teams championships in 2006 and 2008 at Stellenbosch and Adelaide respectively.

Another amazing day in the books. Great to have this group of guys, where we continually push each other to become better, and continue to support each other to reach our goals. Today’s venue was the grove, one of the purest courses in London.

A post shared by Othman Almulla (@othman.almulla.golf) on Aug 25, 2018 at 3:16pm PDT

After Ireland, Almulla will tee it up in the European Challenge Tour’s Kazakhstan Open (Sept. 13-16) and the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in Singapore (Oct 4-7) before returning to MENA Tour action.

“The Mena Tour has been incredible for golf in the region by giving the local players so many opportunities to play against world-class professionals,” Almulla said. “I can’t wait for it to start back up again. I think the tour is a valuable asset to prepare our players to try and jump into the professional ranks.”

Which begs the next question. Could we see you playing for cash at the Saudi European Tour debut?

“I certainly still dream of turning professional and I’m working hard towards realising that goal. I’m planning to play out this season and then evaluate things at the end of the year and progress from there.”

The giddy journey continues.

Surround yourself with people who motivate and inspire you. It’s the only way to chase your dreams. When you enjoy the journey you have to take to make those dreams your reality that is when real progress can be made.

A post shared by Othman Almulla (@othman.almulla.golf) on Aug 29, 2018 at 5:24pm PDT

The post Meet Othman Almulla, the Saudi star set to play his third Eisenhower Trophy appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.