Morocco Archives - Golf Digest Middle East

UAE looking for strong showing at the 42nd Pan Arab Men’s Golf Championship

Matt Smith — Thu, 27 Jul 2023 05:39:10 +0000

The UAE Pan Arab Championship team. EGF

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.

The post UAE looking for strong showing at the 42nd Pan Arab Men’s Golf Championship appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

IMG extends deal with Morocco’s Michlifen Golf & Country Club

Golf Digest Middle East — Thu, 30 Mar 2023 09:43:33 +0000

IMG has extended its management and marketing agreement with Michlifen Golf & Country Club in Morocco. Michlifen is one of the world’s hottest new golfing destinations since its opening in 2018.

IMG will continue to provide extensive support across multiple areas such as agronomy, operations and marketing.

Russell Hannah, Vice President, IMG Golf Course Services, commented: “We are delighted to extend our relationship with Michlifen Golf & Country Club. We remain committed to ensuring that the golfing world is aware of this hidden gem set in the stunning Atlas Mountains and have no doubt that any golfer lucky enough to visit will be enthralled by every aspect of this special golfing experience.”

Michlifen Golf & Country Club is located in the mountain town of Ifrane, a 45-minute drive from the historic city of Fez. Ifrane is often referred to as ‘Little Switzerland’ due to its Alpine architecture, while the clubhouse includes three IMG performance studios with the very latest in custom fitting and teaching technology.

The Jack Nicklaus Signature course forms part of Michlifen, alongside a 71-room, five-star hotel.

The post IMG extends deal with Morocco’s Michlifen Golf & Country Club appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Ines Laklalech hoping Morocco’s ‘incredible’ male golfers can follow her rise to glory – starting at this week’s International Series

Golf Digest Middle East — Thu, 03 Nov 2022 10:58:05 +0000

ByGolfDigestME.com
Morocco’s first ever Tour-level golf champion Ines Laklalech believes this week’s International Series event in Rabat will be the launchpad for the country’s next generation of golf stars.

No less than 10 of Morocco’s finest professional and amateur golfers have earned the chance to tee it up against some of the biggest names in world golf at the Asian Tour’s flagship $1.5 million International Series Morocco tournament, which tees off on Thursday at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam.

Professionals Ayoub Lguirati, Yassine Touhami, Othmane Raouzi, Ayoub Id-Omar, Ahmed Marjan and Karim El Hali carry Morocco’s greatest chance of a strong performance at the four-day event, with highly rated amateurs El Mehdi Fakori, Hugo Mazen Trommetter, Mohammed Nizar Bourehim and Adam Bresnu also looking to make an impression.

All 10 players will be able to source inspiration from 25-year-old countrywoman Laklalech, who earlier this year became Morocco’s first ever golfer to win a professional title, with victory in September’s Lacoste Ladies Open De France on the Ladies European Tour.

MORE: Laklalech ready to make more history in Jeddah

Laklalech firmly believes the talent is there amongst Morocco’s rising male stars — and is hoping that this week’s event will act as a springboard for Moroccan golf looking forward.

She said: “I’ve been following the guys’ results for the last couple of years and when there’s a national event, I’m always watching. It would be amazing if a Moroccan player can win this tournament — and I’m sure they can, because we have incredible talents here in Morocco.

“They’re working hard and they have really nice courses here. I just think they’re maybe lacking a bit of experience, and that’s all they’re missing. If they just keep playing, they will have some great results in the future, that’s for sure. And if not in this tournament, then it will come. I’m very optimistic for the future of Moroccan golf.”

The debut International Series Morocco will play a key role in determining the Asian Tour Order of Merit champion, as well as the maiden International Series money list winner.

The field is packed with big-name stars, with eight of the top-10 in the Asian Tour Order of Merit standings, plus all four International Series winners to date — American Sihwan Kim (Thailand), Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent (England), Thai Ntithorn Thippong (Singapore) and Korean Taehoon Ok (Korea) — all playing.

They will go head-to-head with the likes of Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat, former Singapore Open champion Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, and Australian Brett Rumford, a two-time Asian Tour winner, while James Piot, Chase Koepka, Wade Ormsby, Turk Pettit and David Puig are some of the big-name LIV Golf stars competing.

Laklalech is delighted to see this level of competition return to her home country.

She said: “When I got the news the International Series was coming to Morocco, I was very happy because the DP World Tour event has been set aside for a few years, and this would mean a big tournament coming to Morocco again, which is great.

“We have a lot of great players and I’m really happy for them, being able to play in an event like this. It’s also going to allow the young kids from all over Morocco to come and watch the guys play up close, and that will be a great inspiration for so many of them. That’s how it worked for me: I got inspired when I was watching the Lalla Meryem Cup in Rabat, so now having an Asian Tour event in Morocco is for sure going to grow Moroccan golf.”

Asked about the challenge the players can expect to encounter on Royal Golf Dar Es Salam’s Rouge course, Laklalech said: “It is a very, very nice course, but very tricky. I think the biggest challenge for the guys this weekend is going to be getting the right tee shot, because it’s pretty narrow with a few obstacles, and when you get the ball in the rough, it’s tough to get near to the hole.

“The greens are also pretty firm and fast, so I think the main thing would be to just put your ball on the fairway to have a good chance and create your opportunities.”

The post Ines Laklalech hoping Morocco’s ‘incredible’ male golfers can follow her rise to glory – starting at this week’s International Series appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

A man named Koepka leads LIV Golfers in field for Asian Tour International Series Morocco

Matt Smith — Thu, 03 Nov 2022 10:27:53 +0000

By Matt Smith
For fans coming out to watch the Asian Tour’s first visit to North Africa for the $1.5 million International Series Morocco this week should recognise a familiar name on the leaderboard at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam.

A certain Mr Koepka will be leading a fleet of LIV Golfers heading to Rabat to contend in the landmark event, now their inaugural season is over.

However, it is not four-time major winner, former world No. 1 and LIV Golf Jeddah champ Brooks who will line up in Morocco, but rather his brother and fellow Smash teammate Chase.

Chase has steadily improved over the first LIV Golf season, with some solid golf also helping his Smash GC to the team title in Saudi Arabia. He will be leading a youthful LIV brigade, with the likes of James Piot, Turk Pettit, David Puig and Andy Ogletree joining Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent and Asian Tour regulars Sadom Kaewkanjana, Phachara Khongwatmai and Sihwan Kim out on the course from Thursday.

Scott Vincent and Sihwan Kim ahead of the Asian Tour International Series Morocco. Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour

Vincent is no stranger to the Asian Tour himself, balancing his time out there with his duties on LIV Golf, and with just four events remaining, including the International Series Morocco, the Zimbabwean is ranked first on the International Series Order of Merit (OOM) and fifth on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, with lucrative purses still to play for.

Despite the stakes being high, Vincent is taking it one step at a time. “I try not to think about it,” he told the Asian Tour. “Obviously, it is there, and people talk about it. For me it’s not a priority, I am just trying to work on being present, being here. This is one of the steps in my career, this is where I am now.

“I am focusing on the very next thing I have to do, which is a press conference I have to be at shortly. And, of course, any opportunity I have to come back and play in Africa it is a great thing.”

The Tour moves over to the International Series Egypt next week, finishing with the Bangladesh Open and the Indonesian Masters – which is also an International Series event.

Vincent leads the International Series OOM with earnings of US$407,025 from the four International Series events played so far, by $80,000 from Sihwan. On the Asian Tour OOM he trails leader Bio Kim by around $180,000. But, with big purses still to play for, all that could quickly change.

“I think the course this week is going to show you who are the best players,” added Vincent. “My game comes and goes, it is a work in progress and we try and stick to our routines and work the best with what we have. I am constantly working on it, trying to improve, trying to make my game the best it can be.

“Just coming from last week [LIV Golf Team Championship in Miami], I haven’t fully digested it. Off the top of my head, those guys who are the best in the world, like Cameron Smith and Dustin Johnson, they are able to do what they do more consistently at a very high level and very often. I have got to find ways to do that very consistently.”

The post A man named Koepka leads LIV Golfers in field for Asian Tour International Series Morocco appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Ines Laklalech: Ready to make more history

Golf Digest Middle East — Mon, 31 Oct 2022 07:27:49 +0000

Photo by Tristan Jones/LET

Moroccan prepares to revisit the place where it all began at KAEC

By Matt Smith
The Arab world discovered a new star in September when Morocco’s Ines Laklalech claimed her first crown on the Ladies European Tour.

The 24-year-old made history at the Lacoste Ladies Open de France in Deauville as she defeated Meghan MacLaren in a playoff at Golf Barrière.

With the victory she became the first Moroccan, Arab, and North African woman to win a title on the Ladies European Tour.

Now she is aiming to make more history as she prepares for the Aramco Team Series — Jeddah event from November 10-12.

It was only two years ago that Laklalech teed it up at the inaugural Saudi Ladies International at Royal Greens as a young amateur and now she is coming back to KAEC for the ATS finale as a professional as her first full season on as a Ladies European Tour card-holder comes to a close.

The Casablanca native, who also competed at the Saudi International in March and narrowly missed the cut, is aiming to show what she can do back in Jeddah now she has that first LET victory under her belt.

There is another mission that drives Laklalech to do her best and that is to inspire the next generation of Arab girls across the world, who she believes — like her — have greater opportunity than ever before to chase their own ambitions.

Laklalech, who holds a bachelor’s degree in management science from University College London, said earlier this year: “The Saudi Ladies International was actually the first LET event I played as an amateur back in 2020 and I made the cut. In 2020 it was a great, great tournament and experience, I loved it — particularly because it was in an Arab country, which to me made it even more special.”

Laklalech now knows the course a little better and knows what to watch out for.

“I know what to expect a little more,” she said of Royal Greens. “The course is great, the windy conditions mean things can get very interesting and tough out there.”

That debut Aramco Saudi Ladies International back in 2020 was a landmark moment for women’s sport within the Kingdom as it was the first ever professional, international women’s sporting event to be held in Saudi Arabia.

Now, there is no looking back as the Aramco Team Series returns for its second edition in Saudi Arabia.

“For me, the high-level golf always happened in the US and Europe,” Laklalech said. “Now today, we’re seeing such a strong field of players playing in both the men’s and women’s events in Saudi Arabia. I would never have thought of competitive golf being played in Saudi Arabia before, especially a women’s event. To see this now though is so good for the future of golf and for all women in the Arab world.

“This shows Arab women that if they want to make a living out of their passion — be that in sport or anything else — they can, just as much as a man would. It shows that women can play competitive sports no matter what their background and no matter where they’re from.”

Laklalech first lifted a golf club aged 10 in one of the few places in Casablanca “with a green field and lots of trees”, and quickly going on to join then beat the boys’ club — of which she was one of only two girl members — at her local course, aged only 12.

“I’m excited to see what the next years hold for me,” said Laklalech. “Anything new is exciting, and this elite golf is all new to me.”

Laklalech is only the second Arab woman to play on the LET, following fellow Moroccan Maha Haddioui, and now she is looking ahead to the future following her victory in France.

“I’ve always had very strong women in the family who I look up to. I’m hoping more North African and African women can accomplish things in sports and just pursue their dreams,” she told the BBC in Deauville.

“There is no difference between the African woman or the European one. I hope this win can prove that it is possible. I got a very warm welcome from the Moroccans who came to congratulate me at the airport, with even the policemen saying congratulations. I’m just very humbled by that and happy about it.

“Before the start of the season, I wrote down my goals. Starting a professional career, you have a certain time to get comfortable at the first tournaments. I didn’t make the first three cuts. I was very tense, very nervous. After that, there was just a click that I can’t really explain, and that made me play to my potential without thinking of what I was doing.

“I’m very happy that I passed this first step. Now I can focus on other things that I’m dreaming of.”

One dream would certainly be either holding aloft the individual or team titles in Jeddah on November 12, in front of an Arab crowd.

The post Ines Laklalech: Ready to make more history appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Emirates Golf Federation buoyed by training camp in Morocco ahead of Eisenhower Cup

Matt Smith — Sun, 28 Aug 2022 11:31:07 +0000

By Matt Smith
Members of the Emirates Golf Federation have returned to the UAE on the back of a successful summer camp in Morocco, where the trained with their fellow golfers from the Royal Moroccan Golf Federation.

FRMG hosted the UAE team, backed by the EGF, for a training programme and a series of friendly matches at the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam Golf Club in Rabat.

Members of the UAE underwent a series of coaching classes and took part in the Friendly Cup.

A total of 23 UAE and Moroccan ladies and juniors trained together at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam Golf Club’s short game and driving range facilities to practise their wedge game, bunker play, and putting.

Three days of friendly matches took place, where teams were formed based on the players’ handicaps. The EGF and FRMG mixed teams competed in a series of different nine-hole formats.

Brahim Alaoui, CEO of the Royal Moroccan Golf Federation and General Abdallah Alhashmi, Vice-Chairman of EGF

“The training camp and friendly matches were a major success,” said General Abdallah Alhashmi, Vice Chairman of the Emirates Golf Federation. “Allowing the players to the train together will give them the chance to create friendships that will last for a lifetime. I would like to thank the Royal Moroccan Golf Federation and the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam Golf Club for the hospitality and support that we have received. We look forward to continuing to build on this relationship and hosting many more training camps in the future”

While the female and junior teams were put through their paces, three of the top male UAE players — Ahmad Skaik, Abdullah Al Musharrekh and Rashid Al Emadi were also getting vital training in Ifrane alongside the Moroccan Men’s Team and the Rutgers University Golf Programme, ahead of their participation in the World Amateur Team Championships (Eisenhower Trophy) in France from August 31-September 3.

The post Emirates Golf Federation buoyed by training camp in Morocco ahead of Eisenhower Cup appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Asian Tour adds International Series events at Morocco and Egypt following Ok’s success in Korea

Matt Smith — Sun, 21 Aug 2022 10:29:26 +0000

By Matt Smith
The Asian Tour has announced it is expanding its International Series with two more tournaments added to the 2022 schedule in Morocco and Egypt.

The Tour will first travel to the International Series Morocco, to be played at Royal Golf Dar Essalam, in Rabat, from November 3-6, before going on to the International Series Egypt the following week, at Madinaty Golf Club, in Cairo, from November 10-13.

Both events will boast prize money of US$1.5 million and play a key role in determining the Asian Tour Order of Merit champion, as well as the International Series money list winner.

The Asian Tour season is due to be completed in the month of December with several additional events to be announced in due course.

“This has been an unprecedented season and we are delighted to be able to announce exciting news about the Asian Tour’s first visit to North Africa,” said Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner and CEO, Asian Tour.

“The International Series Morocco and International Series Egypt are two spectacular additions to our schedule that will provide our members with a unique opportunity to compete somewhere new while allowing the Tour to

“We are honoured to be working alongside the Federation Royale Marocaine de Golf in adding this new event in Morocco, which has illustrious golfing heritage, as well as breaking new ground in Egypt beside the Egyptian Golf Federation. Outside of golf, these two destinations are undeniably high up on anyone’s travel bucket list with their storied past and spectacular historical sites.”

The International Series was launched earlier this year thanks to a landmark partnership between the Asian Tour and LIV Golf to invigorate the game in Asia and the Middle East.

“LIV Golf’s investment in The Asian Tour through The International Series is already delivering new opportunities for golfers from all over the world. These events are enhancing the player experience, creating pathways for career development and reinforcing golf’s growth on a global scale,” said Greg Norman, LIV Golf CEO and Commissioner. “This series of events has received tremendous feedback and it continues to build exciting momentum for our sport’s future.”

This week home star Taehoon Ok holed a clutch five-foot birdie putt on the last to beat compatriot Bio Kim by one at the International Series Korea, at Lotte Skyhill Country Club Jeju, which comes a week after Thailand’s Nitithorn Thippong was triumphant in the International Series Singapore at Tanah Merah Country Club.

The International Series Thailand kicked off the series in March and was won by American Sihwan Kim at Black Mountain Golf Club. Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent claimed the International Series England in June at Slaley Hall – an event that marked the Tour’s first-ever tournament in the UK.

The post Asian Tour adds International Series events at Morocco and Egypt following Ok’s success in Korea appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Emirates Golf Federation and 23 UAE National Team players head to Morocco for summer training

Matt Smith — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 05:30:58 +0000

The UAE National Team head out to Morocco. EGF

By Matt Smith
The UAE National Team is off to Morocco for a two-week summer training camp to prepare for the busy autumn schedule.

Twenty-three players from five teams (Ladies, Men’s, Under-18, Under-15 and Under-13) will join forces with the Moroccan National Team to train and compete in a number of friendly matches.

The Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) and the Moroccan Golf Federation will be based at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam to take advantage of the club’s short game and practice facilities, rated one of the best in the region.

Senior players Ahmad Skaik — 61st on the World Amateur Golf Rankings -— and Abdullah Al Musharrekh are joining the Moroccan men’s team in Ifrane for seven days of training in preparation for the 2022 Eisenhower Trophy at the Le Golf National in France on from August 31to September 3.

“We are pushing the best out of our players and coaches,” said General Abdallah Alhashmi. “Over the next two weeks, we will understand how our players match up with other programmes in the Arab Golf Federation. The Moroccan players have always led the way in being the top performers in Arab golf. By having this opportunity to train and compete against our Moroccan brothers and sisters we will know what is working well or needs improvement. I want to thank the Moroccan Golf Federation which has welcomed the EGF with open arms. We look to continue these training camps with all Arab Federations.”

Starting with the Eisenhower trophy, the UAE National Golf Teams have a busy schedule which includes the Ladies, Men’s and Junior Pan Arab Championships in Tunisia, the Women’s and Men’s Asia-Pacific Amateur Championships in Thailand, and the Nomura Cup in the Philippines.

The post Emirates Golf Federation and 23 UAE National Team players head to Morocco for summer training appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Maha Haddioui on the growth of golf in the Arab world

Golf Digest Middle East — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 11:58:12 +0000

By GolfDigestME.com
Maha Haddioui, the first ever Arab to play professionally on the Ladies European Tour (LET) has spoken about her experiences as a female golfer in Morocco, the changes in Saudi Arabia, and her hopes for the next generation of aspiring young women wanting to chase their dreams.

The 33-year-old double Olympian (she competed in 2016 and 2020 and famously hit a hole in one at the Tokyo Games) broke new ground when she joined the LET 10 years ago and spoke to the ‘Power of the Game’ podcast with Golf Saudi about her journey and the changes she has seen along the way.

“I got into golf very randomly as a kid as we lived near a golf club and my parents decided to go there for lunch one day,” Maha explained. “I was running around the course with my sisters when the caddie master invited us to hit some balls on the range. I was not interested as I thought golf was a game for old people and my mother had to persuade me to give it a go.

“I found out I really liked it and that was the start for me. It is amazing how small things like that can have such an impact on your life and if my mum hadn’t encouraged me I would not be here.

“My parents didn’t play golf and there was no interest in the game in our home, so for my mum to persuade me to give it a go was great.”

The game has grown significantly in the Middle East – and not just through tourism and expat participation – and Maha is thrilled to see countries such as Morocco and Saudi push golf among locals as well as tourists.

“Most people in the Middle East have never really played golf – with a club in their hands – so I am always telling them to give it a go. Now I get so many messages from those who have discovered the game and see how much fun it can be,” she said.

“I am in my 10th year and now I am not the only Arab female on tour. Ines Laklalech, who I have known since she was little in Morocco, has joined the LET and that is a huge statement of how we are growing the game for females in the Arab world as we now have two women representing.

She modestly added: “I would never say myself that I was her inspiration but it is such an honour to hear her say how much I influenced her growing up.

“There has been such a key shift with local boys and girls getting into the game. As well as the two girls, we have the UAE’s Ahmad Skaik in the top 15 in the amateur rankings and the likes of Shergo Kurdi of Jordan doing well. It will only be a matter of time until we have an Arab winner of a big tournament.

“Just look at Saudi, in four years since the opening of the Royal Greens Golf and Country Club we now have the massive Saudi International for the men on the Asian Tour and the Aramco Series and tournament for the ladies. It has been pretty crazy to see the expansion and it is great to see how they are doing it to get the locals involved.

“Girls are being introduced to the game through the ‘Ladies First’ programme at schools and I think that is the only way to do it. How will they know if they like the game if you do not hand them a club? It is the only way to go. It is not just watching on TV or bringing in big names for a competition to take the money and then go home.

“To see kids get into golf is a huge win for Saudi and other Arab countries can follow this model and get youngsters involved through the schools.”

The post Maha Haddioui on the growth of golf in the Arab world appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Former amateur standout Jorge Campillo finally wins first European Tour title after nearly eight years and 17 top-five finishes

Golf Digest Middle East — Mon, 29 Apr 2019 04:51:49 +0000

Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images

By John Huggan
He flopped rather than flew over the finish line, but maybe that was to be expected. After 17 top-five finishes since 2011 and nine in the last two seasons alone—including T-2s and a third in his last four starts—Jorge Campillo’s maiden victory on the European Tour has been a long time coming. So perhaps it was not so surprising that he, ultimately at least, made hard work of clinching the Trophee Hassan II in Morocco.

At the end of a final-round 71 that started with two bogeys in his opening three holes, the 32-year-old Spaniard pulled his drive badly off the par-5 18th tee on the 7,632-yard Royal Golf Dar Es Salam course and was more than a little fortunate to finish in a bunker. The recovery shot found the fairway 129 yards from the green, and from there Campillo successfully avoided further disquiet, making a par to claim the biggest share of the €2.5 million purse. The Madrid native finished nine-under-par 283 in Morocco, two shots ahead of Erik Van Rooyen and a pair of Americans, Julian Suri and Sean Crocker. Another of Uncle Sam’s nephews, David Lipsky, was alone in fifth.

“It has been a long wait—almost 250 tournaments [229 to be exact]—but I didn’t have my A-game today so I am proud of that,” said the former Indiana University graduate who will rise from 90th to 65th in the World Ranking. “It was tough. I was missing shots off the tee, but I hit some great shots coming home and putted great. Waiting on the last tee did not help; I wish I could have hit my tee shot sooner. But I hit a great shot from the bunker. I’m proud of how I finished—like a champion. I have so many promises to fulfill after this win, I will have to take a few weeks off. But it has all been worth it.”

Of those closest to the new champion, Van Rooyen will perhaps have most cause for regret. Two shots clear with nine holes to play, the South African stumbled early on the back nine. By the 14th, courtesy of Van Rooyen’s three-putt bogey, Campillo was ahead to stay. Birdies on the 16th and 17th only confirmed that status.

Speaking of which, Campillo’s long wait for this overdue success is even more surprising when one considers his record before turning professional in 2009 and graduating from the Challenge Tour two years later. While at Indiana, he claimed the Big Ten Conference’s “triple crown” in 2008—taking the season-long golfer of the year award, earning the Les Bolstad Award for low stroke average and winning the Big Ten individual championship. Later that year, he also won the Spanish Amateur title, and he represented his country at every level and Europe three times in the Palmer Cup. Impressive stuff that only underlines the old saying that, on tour, no one cares—not even a little bit—about what anyone achieved as an amateur.

The post Former amateur standout Jorge Campillo finally wins first European Tour title after nearly eight years and 17 top-five finishes appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.