By Kent Gray
Golf is the game for life and Yas Links wants to ensure that becomes reality for members of the UAE Special Olympic (UAESO) golf team.

The Abu Dhabi Club has gifted the team complimentary golf membership for one year, giving the golfers of determination unlimited access to both the club’s Kyle Phillips-designed championship course, Par 3 Academy and driving range facilities.

RELATED: Toptracer tech ups the ante for game improvement and family fun at Yas Links

The six players were all medalists at the Special Olympics World Games (SOWG) golf tournament held at Yas Links in March, reports the Emirates Golf Federation.

More than 150 athletes competed in the tournament and were split into 5 divisions based on golfing ability. Level one athletes participated in skill challenges on both the driving range and the academy course including pitching over an obstacle, putting and chip shots, and iron/wood shots. Athletes in levels 2-5 competed in either 9 or 18 holes on the championship course. In the Level 2 competition, Special Olympics Athletes were accompanied by a unified partner.

Here are the eye-catching results of the UAE team:

Pieter Snyman: Gold (Level 1)
Ali bin Saif Al Sumaida: Silver (Level 1)
Saif Al Qubaisi: Bronze (Level 1)
Gabrielle Snowden: 5th place (Level 1)
Vincent Bayer: Silver (Level 2)
Omar Al Bastaki, Unified Partner – Silver (Level 2)

James Ibbetson, Director of Golf at Yas Links. said the club was dedicated to growing participation by making golf accessible to everyone regardless of age, gender, or ability. 

“The athletes showed so much hard work, dedication and passion in the lead up to the games, taking part in weekly coaching and practice sessions with Director of Instruction, Mathew Parker,” said Ibbetson.

“We, therefore, did not want this to just simply finish after the games, undoing all of their hard work. We would love to see all of the athletes continue to improve and develop so that the next time the games come around they can compete within a higher level.

“We are all so honoured to be a part of such an incredible event and we look forward to seeing the athletes grow in their golf journey with our ongoing support.”

The post UAE Special Olympians welcomed by Yas Links after World Games medal haul appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
Steven Kelbrick is living proof that life begins at 50 and has a golf magazine article to prove it.  Now he also subscribes to the fabled adage that warns: “Beware the injured/sick golfer”.

Related: Meet the Dubai amateur chasing a St. Andrews play date with Tom Watson

Full of the dreaded man flu, the 50-year-old Dubai amateur finally, somehow, landed a long overdue Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) order of merit title after signing for rounds of 72-71 to clinch the Tower Links Men’s Open on Saturday.  Kelbrick’s 143 aggregate edged Arjun Gupta (Jumeirah Golf Estates) by two strokes with Scotsman Robert Glenesk third a further shot back.

The Brit flew out to the UK on business after contesting the Staysure Tour’s (formerly European Senior Tour’s) Sharjah Senior Golf Masters earlier this month and has struggled with a head cold ever since.

“It’s funny, you’re not thinking about anything other than feeling awful and then you write down a number and all of the sudden it’s ‘oh s…’ that’s not bad,” he said.

Kelbrick is the defending EGF OOM champion after rattling off eight top five finishes and two-second place finishes in 2016-17. He’s finished no worse than fifth in all five starts this season including a third runner-up finish to teen Josh Hill at the Abu Dhabi Men’s Open in February.

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

You’d think the near misses would be frustrating, but not for Kelbrick.

“It really is nice to win one and it probably should have mattered more in the past but I was really only focused on winning the order of merit last season. This year I really wanted to qualify for the Dubai Trophy [May 12-13 matches pitting the EGF’s best against UAE PGA teaching professionals]. I really enjoyed that last year and I should have secured it now, it should be a done deal.”

Kelbrick still has to play at least one more OOM event to qualify (amateurs need a minimum six starts to be eligible] so has this weekend’s Al Ain Men’s Open in his crosshairs. He’s already organised a practice round with local hero Tom Buchanan whom he’ll likely meet again at the Dubai Trophy.

Related: Buchanan returns to scene of dream European Tour debut, wins third UAE PGA title on the trot

Kelbrick, unsurprising given how lousy he felt, wasn’t striking it great at Tower Links and found himself two behind with five to play in the final round. But a 118-yard wedge shot flushed to three feet on the 14th sparked a run of three birdies in the final five holes, capped by a driver-seven iron-sand save birdie on the par-5 18th.

“I had a real dodgy patch in the middle of the round but you know how golf goes, you stripe one and it all comes back,” he said.

Kelbrick’s putting is also coming back thanks to some concentrated instruction from Arabian Ranches putting specialist and Aim Point Express qualified pro Malcolm Young.

“At Sharjah, I just couldn’t get the ball in the hole but struck it well and received a number of compliments,” said the duel Trump Dubai-Royal Liverpool member who carded rounds of 75-76-74 to finish T-42 at Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club.

“With hard work and excellent dialogue, Malcolm has got me to a position where instead of being a complete weakness, my putting is at the point of becoming a strength. We are still building confidence.

“The swing feels good and whilst we are not quite there yet, [new Yas Links Director of Instruction] Mathew [Parker] and I are feeling good going into the events in summer time.”

Related: Parker happy to be back as DOI at Yas Links

The post On a high despite feeling lousy, Kelbrick somehow snares elusive EGF title at Tower Links appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

So much so, the 31-year-old Englishman has been lured back to the desert by a newly created and high-profile role at Yas Links. He’s the first ever Director of Instruction at the acclaimed Abu Dhabi club and loving it, perhaps keeping in theme with his February 14 – Valentine’s Day – start date.

“I am extremely excited to be back to the UAE,” said Parker who quickly climbed the ranks to head professional during four years at Al Badia Golf Club before being headhunted to help set up and run the European Tour Performance Institute at Jumeirah Golf Estates as Senior Teaching Professional.

“I’ve been back and forth a lot in the past two years for coaching trips and vacations and I’m really fortunate to be joining a club that has so much ambition and drive to want to be the best. The academy at Yas Links has huge potential which I hope to tap into to bring the best service standards, improvement and enjoyment to our students.

“I aim to bring my experiences from my past roles and my recent adventures [at Prevail Golf in the U.K.] to offer what I believe will place the academy as a leader in the country.“

Parker comes from good golfing stock. The family has produced six professionals, three-time Ladies European Tour winner and Solheim Cup representative Florentyna Parker the most high profile among them.

Mathew has overseen the revival of another cousins game in the past year, a couple of satellite tour wins earning Ben Parker promotion the European Challenge Tour and climb inside the top 500 in the OWGR. He’s previously coached Ross McGowan to MENA and Sunshine Tour wins and more recently guided Steve Kelbrick from a two handicap to a +2 handicap and the 2016-17 Emirates Golf Federation Order of Merit (OOM) title.

Related: Kelbrick qualifies for the Sharjah Senior Masters

Perhaps Parker’s best-known client in the past two years is Yas Links-attached Englishman Luke Joy who has rattled off six second place finishes on the MENA Tour and second and third placings on the developmental circuit’s OOM before his breakthrough win at the King Hamad Trophy at the Royal Club in Bahrain in November.

Related: Finally some Joy as Luke wins in Bahrain

As well as continuing with some of the region’s top players, Parker cannot wait to get to work with aspiring amateurs and promises plenty of banter along the way.

“Grass roots golf, both at youth and adult levels, will be a target as we become the place to perform at the highest level possible. Goals will be reached, fun will be had and there’ll be lots of smiles along the way,” said Parker.   

For lessons, email mparker@yaslinks.com.

The post Parker happy to be back as Director of Instruction at Yas Links appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.