Khalid Yousuf Archives - Golf Digest Middle East

UAE fight on at Eisenhower Trophy as Japan lead in Paris

Matt Smith — Fri, 02 Sep 2022 09:25:14 +0000

By Matt Smith
The UAE National Team continued their fight on the World Amateur Team Championships (Eisenhower Trophy) in France as they shot a collective second-round nine-over 151.

Ahmad Skaik improved on his first-round score by three strokes with a 75 while Khalid Yousuf followed up his opening 82 with a 76.

Playing on Le Golf National, the UAE’s third man Abdullah Al Musharrekh also went better than Day 1, with an 86. The best two-from-three scores count towards the team total, with the UAE sitting T64 after Day 2.

Japan continue to lead the team event on 22-under, with France, Italy, Spain and the US leading the chase. Japan’s Taiga Semikawa is heading the individual standings on 15-under with two rounds to go.

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United they stand: The UAE’s Yousuf, Skaik and Al Musharrekh prepare for a hectic autumn schedule

Matt Smith — Thu, 01 Sep 2022 09:02:09 +0000

By Matt Smith
With the brutal UAE summer mostly behind us now, things are only beginning to heat up for the main men of the UAE National Team.

A hectic schedule awaits Khalid Yousuf, Ahmad Skaik and Abdullah Al Musharrekh — along with the rest of the UAE team — as the threesome get back in the swing following the hot summer months.

They begin their autumn/winter campaign with the World Men’s Amateur Team Championships — affectionately known as the Eisenhower Trophy — where they will compete against the world’s best amateurs in Paris at the beginning of September. The event is returning following a three-year COVID-19-enforced hiatus and will be a perfect stage for the UAE amateurs to fight it out before the event heads to Dubai’s Jumeirah Golf Estates next year.

Regarded as one of the biggest amateur competitions in the world — recent champions include Denmark’s Hojgaard twins, Americans Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas, plus Netherlands’ Joost Luiten — the biennial match-play event takes place over four days with the two lowest scores from each team counting for each round. Le Golf National, the scene of the 2018 Ryder Cup, and Golf de Saint-Nom-La-Breteche are the courses for this year’s competition.

Following hot on the heels of the trip to Paris are the Pan Arab Championships in Tunisia, the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championships in Thailand, and the Nomura Cup in the Philippines — and the UAE boys are raring to go, despite less-than-ideal preparations for Skaik in particular.

Ahmad Skaik. Supplied

“To be completely honest, I am recovering from injuries, so my preparation wasn’t great,” the World Amateur No. 61 told Golf Digest Middle East following a team trip to Paris for practice at Le Golf National, and surgery on an ingrown toenail, and ahead of UAE team training in Morocco.

“Hopefully the camp in Morocco gets me ready for it. I feel a lot better and am looking forward to playing in France. We have already been over to France and played Le National but didn’t get to play the other course yet. The course is very nice and has some tough holes which will make it fun and challenging. I like the course and I think that it suits my game well.”

With these trips to France and Morocco, the UAE team are forming a strong bond, something Yousuf sees as key to success.

“The team is looking good,” the 33-year-old said. “We are all putting the practice in and we have become good friends. Despite sometimes competing against each other, there are no rivalries whatsoever between us.

“The big events that are coming up over the next few months are great as you get to test your game against the best amateurs in the world. You get to meet the future stars of the game and create friendships, both within out own team and with others.”

Skaik concurs, while still enjoying a friendly tussle with Yousuf and Al Musharrekh. “We are all good buddies but we like to have competitive matches between us which is always fun to do,” he laughed.

“Team events are very important and the more events I play like these the better it will be for my game because it will help me grow as a player and will help grow my character.”

This is a pertinent factor for Skaik, who has recently graduated university and is considering his next steps in his golfing career.

“I plan to play as many events as possible in the next year and, if all goes to plan, turn pro after the Eisenhower in Dubai in 2023,” he said.

Khalid Yousuf. Supplied

Yousuf, meanwhile, is content to use his experience to help out the others coming through the ranks in the UAE, where he has been active for more than two decades.

“I’m 33 now,” he said “I’m happy to be playing for the National Team and representing the UAE as I have done since I was 11 years old. I don’t see that changing any time soon as I am quite content with where I am.”

Yousuf has been around long enough to see the steady growth of talented golfers in the UAE over the years — with the likes of Skaik in the UAE team and also with expats such as Toby Bishop and Josh Hill, who are both heading to the States on golf scholarships this autumn following their time growing up and learning the game in Dubai.

“We hope the juniors can surpass what we have achieved and take our place as the core of the national team in the future,” Yousuf explained. “The Emirates Golf Federation is constantly growing and becoming a more important body in the golf scene, both locally and internationally.

“As for Toby and Josh, I have seen them grow from boys into young men first hand. I am always looking out to see how they are doing and I want to be first to wish them all the best in their careers.”

As Skaik himself plans for his foray into professional golf, he too has high hopes for those following in his footsteps.

“I see lots of players coming up, which is great as this means the game is still continuing to grow,” he said. “I will try my best to lead the way for the Emiratis coming up, and also the next Josh or Toby.”

With so many talented young golfers following the trio’s progress over the coming months, there will certainly be more stars representing the UAE for years to come.

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UAE get under way at Eisenhower Trophy as Japan lead the way in France

Matt Smith — Thu, 01 Sep 2022 06:38:52 +0000

Ahmad Skaik. EGF

By Matt Smith
The UAE got their 2022 World Amateur Team Championship (Eisenhower Trophy) campaign under way in Paris on Wednesday, shooting a combined 16-over score to sit tied 64th in France.

Khalid Yousuf, Ahmad Skaik and Abdullah Al Musharrekh played their first round at Saint Nom-la-Breteche, with the scores from Skaik (78)and Yousuf (82) counting towards the total — Al Musharrekh shot 92.

Japan are top of the leaderboard on 14-under thanks to a 63 from Taiga Semikawa and a 67 from Kohei Okada.

The UAE will play their second round at Le Golf National on Thursday, where the 2018 Ryder Cup was held.

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UAE ready for tee off at World Amateur Team Championship in France

Matt Smith — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 11:47:12 +0000

By Matt Smith
The UAE will line up alongside a record 71 other teams at the 32nd World Amateur Team Championship (WATC, or Eisenhower Trophy) at the Le Golf National and Golf de Saint-Nom-La-Bretèche in Paris, France, this week.

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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Home is where the heart is: Looking back at the dramatic Dubai Golf Trophy with captains and players

Matt Smith — Thu, 02 Jun 2022 10:10:11 +0000

Pros get their revenge on the amateurs at Dubai Creek and EGC as Dubai Golf Trophy delivers two days of drama

By Matt Smith
Every year, just as the heat rises to remind us all that another summer of sweat is on the way, the finest golfers in the UAE gather for one of the most popular events on the calendar — the Dubai Golf Trophy.

Now in its 23rd year, the event sees the top 16 amateurs in the UAE and the finest professionals battle it out for the bragging rights in this Ryder Cup-style event. And 2022 carried more weight than usual as the ‘Ams’ were going for an unprecedented seventh consecutive triumph over the ‘Pros’.

Fans hoping for another gripping encounter — this tournament has served up many classic clashes over the years — were not disappointed as Mike Major’s Pros finally stopped the rot to reclaim the coveted prize from their rivals after six long years.

Played over two days at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club (Sunday) and Emirates Golf Club (Monday) in Dubai, the competition closely follows the format of the Ryder Cup, with Day 1 seeing eight foursomes and eight fourballs matches, before 16 individual clashes on Day 2.

Chris May, CEO of organisers Dubai Golf, was on hand to watch the spectacle unfold. “It is such a privilege to host this great event that is steeped in UAE golf history,” he told Golf Digest Middle East. “It raises the game and the standards of golf for the UAE. We are delighted to be involved in such an occasion.

“There used to be such a gap between the pros and the amateurs, but we have really seen that gap close up due to the competition and the quality of facilities and academies on offer in the UAE. In recent years we have seen a few kids come through like Josh Hill, Toby Bishop, Ahmad Skaik and Khalid Yousuf. You see this flurry of quality come through as they push each other. But they seem to be coming along more frequently after the likes of Rayhan Thomas, who has done very well and is now in the States. The others take inspiration from that, saying: ‘If he can do it, or she can do it, I can do it to.’

“The Dubai Golf Trophy really plays a key role in this as we get everyone together and they can really see how they compare, regardless of upbringing, race or even club. It is a really meaningful team format, and reflects how far the amateur game has come.”

While the pros held the advantage after the action at Dubai Creek — with the most slender of leads at 8.5-7.5 — they held their nerve when it looked like they might throw it all away.

Khalid Yousuf’s amateur team were so quick out of the blocks on Day 2 at EGC and had their noses in front when Yash Majmudar and Hugo Garcia thumped Michael Bolt and Steven Munro 6&4 and 4&3 respectively.

The other two early matches between Sujjan Singh and Max Burrow, and Jackson Bell and Craig Vance were halved, and the amateurs were scenting another victory.

But then came the blue wave of Pro scores as Graham Forbes thrashed Jay Mullane 4&2, Tom Buchanan denied Yousuf 2&1 and Thomas Ogilvie chalked up a 3&1 win over Ali Parlane.

History-making Olivia Jackson showed her mettle as the first ever female to play in the event as she saw out a see-saw battle against Sam Mullane to snatch a vital half-point.

“To see Olivia come through to become the first female to compete at this tournament is wonderful,” added May. “It is great for us all as she is our pro here at EGC, but she is such a great role model and inspiration for the next generation of boys and girls.

“She can definitely hold her own against the boys and I think she is going to play more competitively this summer in tournaments back in England, so she is only going to get better.”

Back out on the course, just when it was looking all rosy on the blue side for the Pros, the red army charged back as amateurs Toby Bishop (3&2) and David Guinee (2up) saw off Nathan Kernaghan and Jack Woods respectively.

Loius Gaughan (4&2 v Raghav Gulati) got the pros back on track, but wins for Tom Nesbitt (4&2 v Sam McLaren), and Jonathan Selvaraj (4&3 v Luke Plumb) meant that the two-day epic came down to the last game and the last green.

Barry Pavic held a one-hole advantage with three to play, which would have meant a 16-16 tie and the amateurs retaining the trophy as defending champions. But up stepped Purna Sharma for the professionals, winning on 16 before halving the last.

That triggered a wave of celebrations from the Pros, and the Ams graciously accepted defeat 16.5-15.5 in one of the closest ever Dubai Golf Trophy clashes. Amid a sea of buggies, Sharma was embraced by his teammates before going on to lift the trophy.

“That was the hardest two-putt in my life,” Sharma told Golf Digest Middle East just after coming off the final green. “I can’t believe I held my nerve there.”

It was quite the celebration to end a dramatic day. Major, the non-playing Pro captain reflected on a tumultuous weekend, having been on the receiving end for the past six years as a player.

“I guess we can take a hint. I don’t play and we finally win,” he joked, an ACL operation taking him out of this year’s playing capabilities. “But every player was tremendous today and every single one of them contributed points over the two days. For it to be so close shows you the quality on both sides of the ‘divide’. The Ams were brilliant but we managed to find that little bit more when needed … at long last. I must thank Dubai Golf for putting on such a great event, with both the Creek and the Majlis in impeccable conditions. It has been a long, long journey to get here this weekend and we are so glad to win.”

Losing captain Yousuf was gracious in defeat. “They were tremendous,” he said. “We thought we had a chance there at the end but they held on. It was a great two days but sadly we have to give up the trophy after six great years. We will regroup. There is a whole new batch of youngsters coming through and we will see who will make the grade. We are losing a few guys like Josh Hill, Toby Bishop, Yash and (non-playing UAE No.1 amateur) Ahmad Skaik. But as we have proved time and again, there are always more and more players coming through and, each year, the quality gets better and better. Congrats to the Pros, it has been a long time for them.”

So now, the rebuilding process starts all over again, with new faces emerging and older ones bidding farewell ahead of 2023. Will the Pros or the Ams prevail? The Pros’ Buchanan perhaps explains it best. “It has been a long time coming,” he said. “It is always nice to play here and it was great to put on quite a show. Who knows who will win next time around, but this is the best weekend in UAE golf, bar none.”

What they said

Olivia Jackson, Pros
“They will be hurting having lost. Last year I was around the team even though I was not playing. We did not want to go out after the defeat. We just wanted to go home and I think they will be feeling the same. But we will all be friends again tomorrow and they will regroup as it was such a close thing.”

Toby Bishop, Ams
“It was unfortunate to get the loss, but everyone tried their best. Obviously the pros got the win but it was a fun weekend and that was the main part.”

Tom Buchanan, Pros
“The team spirit was fantastic out there and every player contributed to our points, showing how we were pulling for each other. The crowd at the last and the buggies everywhere shows you just what this means. A fantastic day once again.”

Khalid Yousuf, Ams captain
“I have been part of this event for so long. It was nice to finally captain the team. We tried our best. We came up slightly short but it was nice that it came right down to the last match and the last shot. Shows you what it meant to everyone involved.”

Mike Major, Pros non-playing captain
“It was great until the final hour. That was a horrible time as I was not playing so I couldn’t do anything about what was going on. It has been six years to get here and it is much down to the guys who didn’t play today, pushing up the standards, that has helped us finally win.”

Yash Majmudar, Ams
“It was a great event, we were behind from the get-go yesterday, but each session was so close and a few things didn’t go our way — a few putts here and there. But I am really proud of how we performed.”

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Dubai golfer Toby Bishop swaps clubs for books as exams loom ahead of move to US on scholarship

Matt Smith — Thu, 19 May 2022 09:43:57 +0000

Toby Bishop in action at the Dubai Golf Trophy. Matt Smith

By Matt Smith
Toby Bishop is taking a break from golf — but only until his final-year exams are out of the way, as bigger things beckon in the United States. Dubai-bred Welshman Bishop, 18, is studying hard as the dreaded exams loom, but it will be worth the grind as a golf scholarship at the university of Florida awaits after the summer.

“The clubs will be put away for a while now and it is time to hit the books,” Bishop told Golf Digest Middle East on the sidelines of the recent Dubai Golf Trophy at Emirates Golf Club.

“There will probably be more stress than when playing golf actually with all my exams, but once they are done it will be worth it as there are some exciting times ahead.”

Bishop has already been out on a trip to the US to see the set-up at the university he will call home for the next four years.

“I am really excited at the opportunities they have there in Florida,” he said. “They give you every opportunity to make it as a pro on the PGA tour. I went out there on my visit and had a week to see the place and meet the guys. It will be bit difficult to visualise properly until I get there but they are all really good guys to learn from and I need to make the most of the chances I have been offered.”

Fellow Dubai amateur Josh Hill is also heading to the States this summer, and Toby is sure they will stay in touch.

“For sure. We are in the same comp zone so I am sure we will play in a few comps together and compare notes,” he joked.

Bishop also reflected on the landmark moment as two of Dubai’s own step out on the next part of their journey in golf.

“It really highlights the facilities and chances we have here in Dubai,” he said. “I always reflect on how small this country is and to see so many players coming through, firstly with Khalid Yousuf and Ahmad Skaik, and now me and Josh. Hopefully it brings more attention and development to the region and obviously we are proud of what we have done and proud to represent, having grown up here, and fly the UAE flag.

“Hopefully in a couple of years I could get an invite to play in one of the big DP World Tour events and come back here to contend if I play well.

“My parents always joke that I am their mortgage so it will be good to come back and pay them back. But they always support me and I am pretty grateful to have that support as it means I know I have their full backing.”

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‘The best weekend in UAE golf’: Reflections on the Dubai Golf Trophy drama at Emirates Golf Club

Matt Smith — Tue, 10 May 2022 07:10:42 +0000

By Matt Smith

Emirates Golf Club witnessed one of the closest, most dramatic days in UAE golf history on Monday as the ‘Pros’ defeated the ‘Ams’ to reclaim the Dubai Golf Trophy.

The competition is one of the biggest events on the UAE golf calendar and this year it lived up to its reputation as history was made left, right and centre.

Now in its 23^rd year, the Dubai Golf Trophy pits the UAE’s top 16 professional players against the top 16 amateurs in the region. Each team consists of 12 automatic qualifiers from the season-long UAE PGA tournaments and qualifying Emirates Golf Federation events across the UAE. Both team captains then took their additional four ‘wildcard’ picks.

The event, which closely follows the Ryder Cup format, saw two teams of 16 battle it out in the team matches at Dubai Creek on Sunday and then 16 matchplay singles on the Majlis at Emirates Golf Club on Monday.

And it was an epic.

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Relive all the live action here

While the pros held the advantage after Day 1, with the most slender of leads at 8.5-7.5, they held their nerve when it looked like they might throw it all away and give the Ams the bragging rights and the Trophy.

Khalid Yousuf’s amateur team were so quick out of the blocks on Monday and had their noses in front when Yash Majmudar and Hugo Garcia thumped Michael Bolt and Steven Munro 6&4 and 4&3 respectively.

The other two early matches between Sujjan Singh and Max Burrow, and Jackson Bell and Craig Vance were halved, and the amateurs were scenting another victory.

But then came the blue wave of pro scores as Graham Forbes thrashed Jay Mullane 4&2, Tom Buchanan denied Yousuf 2&1 and Thomas Ogilvie chalked up a 3&1 win over Ali Parlane.

History-making Olivia Jackson showed her steel as the first ever female to play in the event as she saw out a see-saw battle against Sam Mullane to snatch a vital half-point.

While it looked all rosy on the blue side for the pros, the red army charged back as amateurs Toby Bishop (3&2) and David Guinee (2up) saw off Nathan Kernaghan and Jack Woods respectively.

Loius Gaughan (4&2 v Raghav Gulati) got the pros back on course, but wins for Tom Nesbitt (4&2 v Sam McLaren), and Jonathan Selvaraj (4&3 v Luke Plumb) meant that the two-day epic came down to the last game and the last green.

“That was the hardest two-putt in my life,” Sharma told Golf Digest Middle East just after coming off the final green. “I can’t believe I held my nerve there.”

Chris May, CEO of organisers Dubai Golf, was on hand to watch the spectacle unfold. “It is such a privilege to host this great event that is steeped in UAE golf history. It raises the game and the standards of golf for the UAE, not just for the professional arena but across the globe for every aspiring golfer. We are delighted to be involved in such an occasion.”

It was quite the celebration to end a dramatic day. Mike Major, the non-playing pro captain reflected on a tumultuous weekend, having been on the receiving end for the past six years as a player.

History-making Jackson added: “It is an honour to become the first female to play in this event as it gives us the recognition we deserve. But I really do not see the gender difference as these guys are all my colleagues and friends. I play with them every week and this just reflects how we should have more mixed events and prove we are all equals.”

Losing captain Yousuf was magnanimous, even if it was with a wry smile. “They were tremendous,” he said. “We thought we had a chance there at the end but they held on. It was a great two days but sadly we have to give up the trophy after six great years. We will regroup. There is a whole new batch of youngsters coming through and we will see who will make the grade. We are losing a few guys like Josh Hill, Toby Bishop, Yash and (non-playing UAE No.1 amateur) Ahmad Skaik. But as we have proved time and again, there are always more and more players coming through and, each year, the quality gets better and better. Congrats to the pros, it has been a long time for them.”

So now, the rebuilding begins once again before the 2023 showdown. Will the Pros or the Ams prevail? The Pros’ self-nominated spokesman Buchanan puts it best: “Who knows but this is the best weekend in UAE golf, bar none.”

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RAK Championship start up for grabs at 40th Arab Golf Championship

Kent Gray — Sun, 19 Dec 2021 05:41:53 +0000

UAE team captain Ahmad Skaik will be one of the players favoured to win the RAK Championship start.

By Kent Gray
The 40th Men’s Arab Golf Championship starting in Egypt today suddenly enjoys added significance with the champion set to earn a start in one of the DP World Tour’s newest events.

The 54-hole event, being hosted at the Dreamland Golf Resort in Cairo, will reward its champion with a spot in the $2 million Ras Al Khaimah Championship presented by Phoenix Capital. The Feb. 3-6 tournament is the third leg of the former European Tour’s Desert Swing, following $8 Rolex Series events in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

A field of 52 players representing 14 Arab Golf Federations will tee it up in Cairo in a tournament with team and individual components. The UAE team is captained by World amateur No. 539 Ahmed Skaik and includes Khalid Yousuf, Abdulla Al Qubaisi and Obaid Al Heloo. The three best scores in each round count towards each nation’s total while a gold medal isn’t now the sole individual focus of the tournament’s best players.

“The Emirates Golf Federation and the Arab Golf Federation are extremely happy to receive this invitation from the DP World Tour,” said Adel Zarouni, Vice Chairman of the Emirates Golf Federation.

“As golf continues to grow in the region this partnership between the United Arab Emirates, the DP World Tour, and the Middle East will push the development further for all Arab players. It’s an exciting time for us in Arab golf and we are looking forward to 2022.”

The UAE Team will be accompanied by, H.E. Sheikh Fahim Bin Sultan Al Qasimi (Emirates Golf Federation Chairman and Arab Golf Federation Chairman), Adel Zarouni (Emirates Golf Federation Vice Chairman and Arab Golf Federation Vice-Chairman), General Abdullah Alhashmi (Vice President of the Emirates Golf Federation) and Khalid Mubarak Al Shamsi (Emirates Golf Federation Secretary-General).

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Sweet 6: Ahmad Skaik on leading the Emirates Golf Federation

Kent Gray — Sat, 01 May 2021 05:50:02 +0000

Photograph by Andrew Redington/Getty Images

Ahmad Skaik, the first Emirati captain in the 22 year history of the Dubai Golf Trophy, shares the inside story of last month’s historic 18½-13½ victory over the UAE PGA Tour pros as the EGF amateurs made it six successive wins in the UAE’s answer to the Ryder Cup.

With Kent Gray

• • •
I’m very, very proud of my team for this achievement and I couldn’t have asked for a better team to be the captain of. I think this was the youngest team in the history of this trophy and we had seven new players so I am very proud of each and every one of them as they all contributed.

• • •
This event means so much to me. I love team events and it’s one of the rare tournaments where I have to think of the team, give my all to the team before thinking about myself.

• • •
To be the first Emirati captain is a very big achievement for me and I gave it my all and tried to make everyone confident and comfortable. Basically, I tried to be the best captain I can possibly be and the win is a big bonus for sure. It was a tough and stressful season as I wanted everything to be perfect so we could win. I think that just shows how much it means to me.

• • •
I felt a lot of pressure going into it because you obviously don’t want to be a losing captain in general let alone being the first captain to lose in the last six years.

• • •
I got a lot of positive feedback from the Emirati golf community and a lot of them told me that they want to follow in my footsteps. This drives me and motivates me to work harder and harder. The best was from my team telling me that I was a very good captain.

• • •
They are a group of young players so they were already pumped going into it but I reminded the new players of how good they are and that no one deserves to be in the team more than them. All that was left was to go out and show everyone what you’re made of. After a great result on day one [the EGF lead 11-5 after the foursomes and fourballs], I had to remind the players that it still was far from over and that showed on day two as it was much closer [the EGF edged the singles 8½ -7½] than I would have liked but it makes the win feel much better.

• • •
I was worried for sure [after the opening foursomes were shared 4-4] but I was also confident that we had a strong team and I thought I did the round two fourballs pairings very well and we saw that with the score of 7-1. I made sure to match the players well together and change a few pairings from the morning match and I was very happy that it worked out the way it did.

• • •
To be honest, when I checked the leaderboard in the [afternoon] fourballs matches, it was still very close and myself and Khalid [Yousuf] had a tough match against Ryan Smith and Malcolm Young so me and Khalid decided not to look at it and just focus on winning our point for the team.

• • •
Josh Hill [EGF No.1] has shown that he is levels ahead of the rest this season and that is a good thing for us to push ourselves to get to that level. I was very confident that he would get all three points and he gave me a hard time telling me he can’t play then yes, then no, then yes. He ended up changing his math test and flight dates [to the UK] to play which I really appreciate.

• • •
The guy that impressed me the most was Niklas Korjonen because it was his first time playing this event and he went 3-0. That doesn’t usually happen. Usually, the ones that play for the first time barely contribute.

• • •
Me and Steve Kelbrick have a very special bond together and I look up to him a lot as he inspires me. He chose me to be his vice-captain so we worked a lot together in the last two years and we did our practice rounds together leading up to this one. After I won my singles and saw how close it was, I went to support the players and I saw that Steve was 4 down at one point and got it to 1 up and I watched his last 3 holes and when he won on 17 to put our team in a very good position, we had a very special moment together. I think we hugged for like one minute. I will remember this moment for the rest of my life.

• • •
It was very exciting to see the ladies play an exhibition match for the first time. I mean they weren’t fully part of it this time as their points didn’t count but I hope that they enjoyed it and I’m sure that next season will be very special for them as they will actually be part of the teams. I hope the ladies in the UAE national team set that as a goal for them in the future.

• • •
Khalid [Yousuf] was my vice-captain and also my partner. It was special for us to be together in the UAE team for all these years and then become the captain and vice-captain in the same year. I am sure that he will be a great captain because he is the captain of the UAE national team so he has experience with that. I think he will bring his experience into play as he played many of these and I will be there to help him with anything that he wants.

• • •
We have a lot of players in the EGF amateur team that want to make it on tour and we have a lot of almost full-time golfers in the team which will always be a factor and the difference when the pressure is on, even though the pros always give us a big fight.

• • •
Yes, I think that we can make it seven in a row for sure. If everything goes well and we get the right players in the team, then I don’t see why not.

The post Sweet 6: Ahmad Skaik on leading the Emirates Golf Federation appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Skaik leads EGF to sixth successive Dubai Golf Trophy

Kent Gray — Mon, 12 Apr 2021 01:46:42 +0000

By Kent Gray
Ahmad Skaik’s ambition to be one of the best Emirati golfers of all time was already well advanced before the weekend but it hasn’t stopped the national rep from embellishing his reputation a little more anyway.

The left-hander with pro game goals has doubled-down on the honour of being the first home-grown player to captain the Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) team in the Dubai Golf Trophy by leading the amateurs to a sixth successive victory in the Ryder Cup-style matches.

Mike Bolt’s UAE PGA pros, staring down the barrel of an embarrassing defeat after entering the final day 11-5 adrift, rallied on Sunday at Earth, winning the singles 8½ -7½. But in the end, it was a mountain too high as Skaik’s amateurs won 18½-13½.

The EGF men got off to a predictable flier with Josh Hill seven under the card through 12 holes before matching threes on 13 saw Malcolm Young shake hands and scratch his head as a 6&5 victim of the best golf game in the UAE.

The second match out was a much tighter affair with a par on the 18th earning Indian amateur Arjun Gupta a half with Sujjan Singh. Bolt was one of the five UAE PGA players to win the next five matches out for the pros, leaving it up to the EGF lower order to get the job done. In the end, the amateur’s almost utter scoreboard domination in Saturday afternoon’s fourballs, which they won 7-1, proved the difference, much as Hideki Matsuyama’s back nine after Saturday’s weather delay at Augusta National propelled him to a historic green jacket for Japan at The Masters overnight.

In the two-person women’s exhibition match, the EGF amateurs made it a double celebration with a 3-1 victory, the UAE pro’s sole point coming in the singles via Anneke Strobach’s 3&2 victory over Hyeonji Kang.

Skaik’s deputy Khalid Yousuf will now likely step up to the captain’s role for 2022. Who will take the challenge on for the UAE PGA Tour remains to be seen. One thing is certain – the women will be involved in the matches proper from next year.

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