But the 51-year-old Englishman has one final domestic commitment before he sets out for the likes of fabled Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York and Hillside Golf Club in Southport, England – this weekend’s Dubai Trophy.

The Trump Dubai member will take some serious confidence into the annual Ryder Cup-style matches between the EGF’s best and the UAE PGA Tour’s top teaching pros as well after waltzing the 2019 EGF Order of Merit Championship by five strokes at Al Ain Equestrian Shooting & Golf Club last weekend.

Kelbrick had already captured the season-long EGF title before Al Ain but capped another consistent campaign with his first win of the season after firing rounds of 68-68-67 for a 7-under-par, 203 aggregate. He collected a total of 17 birdies during the 54-hole event where Ziang Xu (Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club) was runner-up following rounds of 71-67-70 for a two-under-par, 205 total. UAE National Team Member Ahmed Skaik was third on 215 after scores of 74-71-70.

A job well done to the 2018 – 2019 Order of Merit Season & Championship Winners. Full report to follow. @aesgc pic.twitter.com/6YwScGURNk

— Emirates Golf Fed. (@EGFuaegolf) April 20, 2019

After the Dubai Trophy at Emirates Golf Club and Dubai Creek Golf Club, Kelbrick will begin gearing up for the 83rd Anderson Memorial at Winged Foot from June 6-9. The John G. Anderson Memorial Four-Ball is one of America’s premier amateur invitational events. Created in 1933 to honour Winged Foot founding member and two-time U.S. Amateur runner-up John G. Anderson, the event consists of a 36 hole qualifier followed by two days of match play competition in both Championship and Senior divisions.

Kelbrick, who missed the cut at the recent Jordan Mixed Open, is also eyeing the June 13-15 European Senior Men’s Championship at Golf Patriziale Ascona in Switzerland ahead of Senior Open qualifying at Hillside G.C., also the venue for next month’s British Masters (May 9-12) being hosted by Tommy Fleetwood.

2018 – 2019 Emirates Golf Federation Order of Merit Winners

Hyeonji Kang, meanwhile, won the Ladies EGF Order of Merit Championship by an even more commanding six strokes. Kang shot rounds of 73-66-66 for a five-under-par 205 total while runner-up Chantal El Chaib (72-69-70, 211) and Natalli Gupta (72-74-69, 215) rounded out the podium in Al Ain.

Kang has enjoyed a historic season by winning the not only the overall Ladies OOM title but also winning the Junior Girls Gross Division while also sharing first place in the Junior Girls Nett Division.

The Junior Division was played with the girls and boys combined. Jay Mullane started strong and maintained that lead over the two rounds firing 70-74 for a winning total of 144. Asanka White (75-74) and Viggo Sorensen (77-73) were second and third respectively.

The post Kelbrick eyes fabled Winged Foot and Senior Open qualifying after capturing second EGF season title in three years appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
What does a golfer desire for his 14th birthday? For Josh Hill, it’s clearly a fast start to the defence of his Faldo Series Middle East Championship title.

The Dubai-based Englishman gifted himself exactly that with a one-under 69 as the 22nd season of Sir Nick Faldo’s global junior series opened at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting and Golf Club on Tuesday. Hill shares the overall lead with Mikkel Mathieson (Denmark) and is a shot ahead of Dubai-based Indian Arjun Gupta and Toby Bishop (Wales) in the U-16 division heading into the second round of the 54-hole event on Wednesday.

Mathieson enjoys a five stroke advantage over England’s Jay Mullane and Kenyan Bradley Mogire in the U-18s category while Emirati Abdullah Al Qubaisi shares the lead in the U-21s race with India’s Arkesh Bhatia after a four-over 74. Gupta and Bishop were the only other players in the 54-strong field to equal or better AEGSC’s par of 70 on a tough day for scoring.

Hill entered the week in impressive form. The +3 handicapper fired an historic 65 at Trump International Golf Club Dubai en-route to a third straight Emirates Golf Federation open men’s title in late Feb. and then finished runner-up in the U-16 division at the 12th Faldo Series Asia Grand Final in Vietnam earlier this month.

Related: Josh Hill, just 13, fires Trump course record en-route to third successive EGF title

He qualified for the Asian finale at the Faldo-designed Laguna Lang Co. courtesy of winning the U-16 Middle East and then European Grand Final Faldo titles, both also at AESGC, last year.

Kellie Gachaga (Kenya) and England’s Billie-Jo Smith, meanwhile, lead the U-21 girls event at Al Ain after 74s while Sukura Kawakami’s 72 gives the Japanese player a one shot advantage over South Korean Hyeonji Kang heading into the second round of the U-16 girls division.

Faldo created the series (open to players aged 12 to 21) in 1996 to pay back to a sport that has given him so much by nurturing the next generation of champions. It has grown to 40 tournaments in 30-plus countries. Past winners include Major champions Rory McIlroy and Yani Tseng, plus tour winners Nick Dougherty, Oliver Fisher, Marc Warren, John Parry, Rashid Khan, Melissa Reid, Florentyna Parker and Carly Booth.

Faldo recently confirmed the series’ European Grand Final will be hosted by AESGC until 2021.

The Middle East is the epicenter of the @EuropeanTour and now junior golf with @NickFaldo006 confirming @aesgc as the host venue of the @FaldoSeries European Grand Final till 2021. Congrats to @GChappellPGA @tompro66 and all the Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club team. ? https://t.co/72eDrulQLO

— Golf Digest ME (@GolfDigestME) March 20, 2018

Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club (AESGC) @aesgc will host the Faldo Series Europe Grand Final for the next four years, Sir Nick Faldo has announced. https://t.co/vXKHrOU1Q8 @NickFaldo006

— Faldo Series (@FaldoSeries) March 20, 2018

The post Hill celebrates 14th birthday in style at Faldo Series opener in Al Ain appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.