By Kent Gray
Different day, the same name atop the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific championship (WAAP). This time though, Thailand’s Natthakritta Vongtaveelap had company as the day two storylines emerged at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.

With a four-under 68 to go with her opening 66, Vongtaveelap moved to -10 for the championship and maintained her two-stroke buffer heading into the weekend.

Joining her for Saturday and Sunday will be Dubai-based Indian Natalii Gupta who is the sole remaining UAE representative after Alia Al Emadi, Hamda Al Suwaidi and Hannah Cheryl Alan failed to survive the 36-hole cull.

Perhaps the story of Thursday belonged to Vongtaveelap’s compatriot Kan Bunnabodee who fired an eight-under-par 64 to move into the top-10 and equal the lowest round in WAAP history. For the record, Australian Becky Kay established the mark during the first round of the 2019 edition of the WAAP played at the Royal Golf Club in Japan.

“I’m impressed that I could shoot this low score, this is my first time shooting 8-under,” said Bunnabodee, who recorded seven birdies in eight holes, starting at the 4th hole.

Kan Bunnabodee.

“I actually didn’t think about making the lowest score in WAAP or anything. I was just enjoying myself playing golf, making some birdies, and it just kept scoring lower and lower. So it’s pretty nice.”

So too has been Vongtaveelap’s opening 36 holes. She is two clear of Japan’s Mizuki Hashimoto and Australian Kelsey Bennett (67) on eight under, with India’s Anika Varma (68), one of only two players in the field not to drop a shot in the first 36 holes, in solo fourth place at seven-under-par 137.

“I was not as nervous as I was in the first round. The first round gave me more confidence and I played very good golf and hit some very good shots during the round,” said Vongtaveelap, who made birdies on the 15th and 18th holes after starting from the 10th, and then added two more on the second and third.

“It was my goal to try and shoot a four-under round today and I am happy I achieved it.”

Natalii Gupta.

Gupta, a nominated player of the Emirates Golf Federation (EGF), added a three-under-par 69 to her 74 on Wednesday for a one-under total and a tie for 26th.

“It was a good day on the golf course today,” said the 17-year-old.

“I think I had five birdies. I was just trying not to short-side myself and play aggressively to all my lines and just hope for the best. It is a huge honour to be representing the EGF. I’ve lived here in the UAE all my life. It’s incredible to be able to get an opportunity and then make the cut here.”

The halfway cut fell at two-over-par 146 with 51 players from 12 countries making it through to the final two rounds of the championship.

WAAP is one of the most important events on the calendar for players from the Asia-Pacific region, with the champion earning a place in two major championship fields – the AIG Women’s Open and The Amundi Evian Championship -as well as the Hana Financial Group Championship and an invitation to play in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

The post Natalii Gupta flies UAE flag as Thai Natthakritta Vongtaveelap maintains WAAP buffer in Abu Dhabi appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Alia Al Emadi, Hamda Al Suwaidi, Natalii Gupta and Hannah Cheryl Alan will fly the host country’s flag in the championship’s third edition at Abu Dhabi Golf Club from November 10-13. 

By GolfDigestme.com
A four-member team has been named by the Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) to represent the United Arab Emirates, the host nation, in the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific (WAAP) championship when it is held at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club from 10-13 November.

Alia Al Emadi and Hamda Al Suwaidi, who have been regular members of the national team, will lead the challenge and, for the first time, the Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) has nominated two expatriate players from the Asia-Pacific region – India’s Natalii Gupta and Hannah Cheryl Alan – to play under the UAE flag.

Organised by The R&A and the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC), WAAP has become an important championship on the calendar for the players, with the champion earning places at major championships – the AIG Women’s Open and the Amundi Evian Championship- and also an invitation to play in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and Hana Bank Championship.

Among some of the top amateurs who have already confirmed their participation are Korea’s Youmin Hwang, who is the top-ranked player in the field at 5th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR®). She is joined by the Chinese pair Xiaowen Yin who is ranked 7th in the WAGR® and Lei Ye who is 17th.

Al Emadi, who recently won the Presidents Cup, the most prestigious tournament on the EGF’s schedule, has previous experience of participating in APGC events as part of the 2019 APGC Junior Championship in Japan where she paired with her brother Rashid.

Al Emadi commented, “The Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific is a real highlight for women golfers in the region and it’s very exciting that it is being played in Abu Dhabi this year. It is a great opportunity for us to play at home and measure ourselves against the best players in Asia-Pacific.

“I know all the UAE girls really want to play well. We definitely have local knowledge in our favour. Abu Dhabi Golf Club is a tough challenge but most of us have played it, so we know where the dangers are. It will be an amazing experience for us and hopefully we will play well and learn a lot.”

The 17-year-old Gupta, who was born and raised in Dubai, finished runner-up on the 2019-2020 EGF Order of Merit after winning three Ladies Opens and was delighted to receive the EGF nomination.

“The UAE and the EGF has played a big role in my development as a player. I am amazed by the opportunity to play a championship as significant as the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific under the UAE flag and I hope to make them proud with my performance,” said Gupta, whose twin brother Arjun will represent India in the 2021 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship.

Natalii Gupta.

The WAAP – won in its inaugural playing by Thailand’s Atthaya Thitikul who has now won ten professional titles and by Japan’s Yuka Yasuda in 2019 – returns to the international golf schedule after not being played last year due to the pandemic.

Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A, said, “One of our key objectives for the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific championship is to provide the best players in the region with the opportunity to compete in a world-class championship and gain all the knowledge and experience that brings.

“Already we have seen previous WAAP competitors go onto win on the world’s biggest stage with Yuka Saso and Patty Tavatanakit both winning major championships this year. We hope that this year’s field, including these fine players from the United Arab Emirates, will be inspired by their feats.”

The championship is also delighted to announce the support of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council who join a list of valued partners including Hana Financial Group, Nippon Kabaya Ohayo Holdings, Rolex, Samsung and Trust Golf who share The R&A’s commitment to developing golf in the Asia-Pacific.

His Excellency Aref Al Awani, General Secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC), added: “In Abu Dhabi, we have encouraged sports by the hosting events ranging from grassroots to elite professional level. We are delighted to host the elite amateurs from the region for the first time and are sure that the amazing golf courses of Abu Dhabi will impress the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific participants.”

It’s Samsung’s second year of supporting the championship as a patron partner and Jerric Wong, Head of Corporate Marketing at Samsung Gulf Electronics, said: “Samsung is delighted to partner the APGC and The R&A in their mission to foster the finest golfing talent in the Asia-Pacific region. Championships like this play a very important role in developing many of our women golfers into world-beaters in the future and we are happy to play a role in that process.”

The WAAP was developed by The R&A and APGC to unearth emerging talent and provide a pathway for Asia’s elite women amateurs to the international stage. The R&A launched the Women in Golf Charter in 2018 and is committed to increasing the participation of women in the sport. The WAAP is one of several key championships conducted by the governing body and a significant initiative along with the APGC to drive the popularity of women’s golf in the region.

Hamada Al Suwaidi

His Excellency Shaikh Fahim Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) added, “The EGF has actively invested in promoting women’s golf in the UAE. Be it by signing The R&A’s Women in Golf Charter, or hiring a female coach to train the UAE National Team. Our efforts with the National Junior Development Program (NJDP) are already paying off and playing in a championship of the stature of the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific will be a big motivation for them.”

The post UAE foursome eager to learn via appearance at Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific at Abu Dhabi G.C. appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
The Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) amateurs are on the cusp of yet more Dubai Golf Trophy glory- and this time with a feel-good silver lining.

Following an afternoon of near utter dominance on the Faldo course at Emirates Golf Club, the EGF team will take a formidable 11-5 lead over the UAE PGA Tour pros into Sunday’s singles at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

The Mike Bolt-captained UAE PGA pros will need something special on Earth to reverse the six-point deficit in today’s 16-singles showdowns if they are to avoid a sixth successive loss in the Ryder Cup-style matches administered by Dubai Golf.

It will be no mean feat given the EGF players are also determined to seal Ahmed Skaik’s place in folklore as the event’s first Emirati – and winning – captain.

Things started well enough for the desperate pros as Saturday’s morning foursomes were shared 4-4 despite a mammoth 8&7 socking for Dong Lee and Jonathan Craddock at the hands of amateur talisman Josh Hill and Jay Mullane.

But it went horribly pear-shaped in the afternoon fourballs on the Faldo as the EGF amateurs won 7-1. Only Luke Plumb and Louis Gaughan saved the pros from an embarrassing whitewash courtesy of their 3&2 win over Max Burrow and Arjun Gupta. At the top of the order, their was another lesson for Lee and Craddock who were beaten 5&3 by Hill and Mullane.

Lee and Craddock will be happy to see the back of Hill and Mullane with veteran Dubai Trophy player Malcolm Young handed the task of taking on Hill in the singles while Mullane will face Pro Sports’ Graham Forbes.

HISTORY-MAKERS: Hyeonji Kang, Natalii Gupta, Anneke Strobach and Olivia Jackson.

It was also a tough day for the UAE Pro women who are playing the Dubai Trophy for the first time – this year in an exhibition match ahead of being incorporated into the event proper in 2022.

Olivia Jackson and Anneke Strobach were edged 1up by Hyeonji Kang and Natalii Gupta in the morning foursomes and then beaten comprehensively, 5&4, in the fourballs.

Jackson will play Gupta and Strobach will meet Kang on Sunday knowing they need to both win their singles encounters to level the exhibition.

But the focus will be on how Bolt’s pros responded to being cornered on Earth.

The post What on Earth can the UAE pros do to prevent a EGF amateur six-peat? appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
Can Michael Bolt finally be the captain to halt the amateur’s five-year Dubai Golf Trophy dynasty?

We’re about to find out with the teams for the April 10-11 Ryder Cup-style matches between Bolt’s UAE PGA Tour pros and the Ahmed Skaik-captained Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) amateurs released.

REWIND: UAE PGA captain Luke Plumb on fifth straight Dubai Trophy loss: ‘The EGF top 5 did a number on us’

Bolt’s 16-man team for the 22nd edition at Emirates Golf Club (Faldo course) and Jumeirah Golf Estates (Earth course) features a number of familiar faces including freshly minted UAE PGA Championship winner Luke Plumb and David Gray who edged Bolt 1-up to win his third UAE matchplay championship recently.

UAE PGA Championship winner Luke Plumb is set to be a key member of the professional team.

Skaik, the first Emirati to captain a Dubai Trophy team, will partner UAE national teammate Khalid Yousuf in the Saturday foursomes against Purna Sharma & Malcolm Young.

There are some particularly juicy top of the order match-ups with amateur team talisman Josh Hill teaming with Jay Mullane to take on Dong Lee and Jonathan Craddock while Arjun Gupta and Yash Majmudar take on Bolt and beaten UAE matchplay semifinalist Sujjan Singh.

For the first time, women will compete in the Dubai trophy with Olivia Jackson and Anneke Strobach representing the UAE PGA and Hyeonji Kang and Natalii Gupta, Arjun’s sister, the EGF amateurs. They will play a separate competition this week ahead of the women being incorporated into the full Dubai Trophy in 2022.

The Faldo will host the foursomes and fourball matches on Saturday ahead of the singles on Earth Sunday.

[divider] [/divider]

UAE PGA Professionals v EGF Amateurs

Saturday Foursomes
Match 1: Dong Lee & Jonathan Craddock v Josh Hill & Jay Mullane
Match 2: Michael Bolt (Captain) & Sujjan Singh v Arjun Gupta & Yash Majmudar
Match 3: Luke Plumb & Phil Waine v Viggo Sorensen & Zubair Firdaus
Match 4:  Graham Forbes & Louis Gaughan v Toby Bishop & Sam Mullane
Match 5: David Gray & Ryan Smith v Steve Kelbrick & Max Burrow
Match 6: Purna Sharma & Malcolm Young v Ahmed Skaik (Captain) & Khaled Yousuf
Match 7: Bishnu Sharma & Sam McLaren v Dan Byrne & Niklas Korjonen
Match 8: Michael Major & Thomas Ogilvie v Gordon Munro & Jake Wiltshire
Ladies: Olivia Jackson & Anneke Strobach v Hyeonji Kang & Natalii Gupta

The post Bolt, Skaik name teams as EGF amateurs chase Dubai Golf Trophy six-peat appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
Ahmad Skaik joked last week that his best chance of overhauling his good pal for the Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) Order of Merit (OOM) title would be if Dan Byrne sat out the final two events of the season.

“I am 20 points behind Dan with two events to play and I always joke with him, tell him not to play the last two because he played two events more than me this season,” the 23-year-old Emirati international said in an interview featured in the September edition of Golf Digest Middle East.

“Dan is a solid golfer so I would say that the only way to do is for me to get two wins in the last two events because I don’t see him finishing outside the top 5. Dan is a very good friend of mine and I will be very happy for him if he wins it but I will try and take it away from him.”

As it turns out, Byrne won’t play the last two events scheduled for Yas Links and Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club, nor will +3 handicapper Skaik get a chance at last gasp glory. Indeed, no one will tee it up with the EGF announcing it has been forced to end the 2019-20 season prematurely due to the uncertainties created by the coronavirus pandemic.

Ahmad Skaik. (Photo courtesy EGF)

The national body has also cancelled the end of season Order of Merit Championship, a double blow as the 54-hole (36 for juniors) event carried precious World Amateur Golf Ranking points.

“It’s always a tough decision to end a season early or cancel events but with the current environment and restrictions around the UAE we feel that this is the right and safe decision for the golfers,” said EGF Secretary-General, Khalid Mubarak al Shamsi.

DOWNLOAD OR DELIVERED FREE: Get the Sept. 2020 edition of Golf Digest Middle East TODAY! 

For the record, Byrne won what turned out to be a 12×36 hole-event season with 220.6 points. The Els Club youngster racked up six top-5 finishes in his 11 starts. Skaik, who won the Monty and Trump Dubai Opens, was second on 199.5 points with Dubai Hills Golf Club member Barry Pavic third on 147 points.

Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club’s Hyeonji Kang won both the women’s gross and net season titles with three wins in her tally of 179 points from a possible 8, 18-hole events.

Trump Dubai’s Natalii Gupta also won three times to finish runner-up in the gross division with 159 points. Chantal El Chaib (Abu Dhabi Golf Club) was third with 135 points. For all the season OOM results, click here.

The EGF said in a media statement that it hoped to start the 2020-21 season next month.

“With the 2019 – 2020 UAE golf season officially over, the EGF will continue to monitor the Covid-19 situation and the closure of boarders in the country. The 2020 – 2021 season is expected to start in early October.”

The post Byrne, Kang crowned champions as EGF season cut short appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
At 33, Nathan Fisher is not exactly ancient in amateur golfing terms but, boy, he’s felt like it at times on the Emirates Golf Federation circuit this season.

The South African has had a front row seat as 14-year-old Josh Hill waltzed away with the EGF Order-of-Merit (OOM) title by winning seven of the tour’s 14 events and rattling off course records at Trump (65) and The Track (68) in the process. If it wasn’t Hill, it was Arjun Gupta or Toby Bishop, also both just 14 and second and third respectively in the OOM standings, highlighting the changing of the guard after 50-something Steven Kelbrick won the season-long crown last year.

Inspired by the scary new level of competition, Fisher kept toiling away – he was second to Hill at Trump – and finally had his reward Saturday when he clinched the 36-hole EGF OOM Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates. Unsurprisingly, the Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club +3-handicapper he had beat the young whippersnappers to triumph, edging Gupta in the second hole of sudden death in a playoff eventual bronze medallist Hill (75-74) would also have made but for a lipped out four-footer on the last hole of regulation.

Related: Captain Smith wins UAE PGA Matchplay title, eyes Dubai Trophy

“Just to come through, I’m over the moon,” said Fisher before reflecting on his competition. “I played with Arjun and Josh and I’m thinking, they’re 28 together. I’m 33…I feel so old. It’s so good to see so many young players playing now and playing well. Josh, he’s unbelievable and Arjun and Toby, I mean, my gosh, they’re the top three in the OOM and they’re all under 15.

“If I’m honest, I’ve been in the UAE for seven years now and it’s good to have that competition. They’ve given me that drive again for competitive golf.”

2017-2018 EGF Order-of-Merit winners

It certainly feels a long time ago since Fisher helped Iowa’s Indian Hills Community College to second place in the 2005 NJCAA (National Junior Community College Amateur Athletics Association) Division 1 Golf Championship. But the Durban boy rekindled some of his old magic at JGE, backing up an opening 78 with a classy two-under 70 in difficult conditions off the “DP World Tour Championship tees” on Saturday. Gupta had to get up and down on the last to make the playoff on 148 (73-75) but back-to-back bogeys on the par-5 18th in extra time gave Fisher his opening; the adidas golf rep duly closed the door with a par at the second time of asking.

The win sealed a call-up to this weekend’s Dubai Trophy, the first time Fisher has made the amateur team. He can’t wait for the Ryder Cup style matches against the UAE PGA’s finest on the Majlis at Emirates Golf Club on Saturday and Dubai Creek next Sunday.

“I’ve heard so many good things about the Dubai Trophy from amateurs and pros. People say it’s the best event to play in the UAE so I’m so excited to make the team…hopefully it will be the amateurs three years in a row,” said Fisher.

Natalii Gupta in full flight.
Photo/EGF

While Arjun Gupta suffered heartache in the playoff, his sister Natalii (Emirates G.C.) celebrated success in the open ladies championship, rounds of 76-78 giving her a championship total of 154 and a four stroke victory over The Els Club’s Katie Bibby (81–77). Sara Engsig (83-82) was third on 165.

Bradley Mogire won the combined junior boys and girls title with impressive rounds of 76-74 for a 150 total, two shots clear of junior OOM champion Max Cashmore (JGE, 75-77). Niklas Korjonen was third with scores of 78-77 for a 155 total.

Junior champion Bradley Mogire.

The post Fisher chalks one up for the ‘old guys’ at EGF Championship appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The 14-year-old Englishman came within a whisker of the Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club course record as a 62 saw him stretch a two-stroke overnight lead into an emphatic six shot defence of his Faldo Series Middle East Championship title on Thursday.

Related: Justin Parsons rates Hill and the other leading lights from Al Ain

Hill won the U-16 crown by four strokes last March and was even more impressive in his defence as a bogey-free eight under loop threatened the 61 carded by Brazilian Herik Machado at the Faldo Series’ European Grand Final at Al Ain before Christmas.

It saw Hill finish an astonishing -14 for the 54 hole event and lead a Jumeirah Golf Estates sweep of the U-16 and overall podium with Arjun Gupta (India) and Toby Bishop (Wales) sharing second on -8 after closing rounds of 66. The trio’s Butch Harmon School of Golf Dubai pal Krishiv Tekchandani rounded out the top four on -1 after recovering from a three-over opening round 73 with back-to-back 68s.

There was further joy in the Gupta family with Arjun’s sister Natalii roaring to victory in the girls division with a stunning closing round of 66 to pip England’s Billie-Jo Smith by a shot.

But the spotlight was justifiably on Hill who came into the week on the back of a runner-up finish at the Faldo Series Asian Grand Final and three successive Emirates Golf Federation Open Men’s wins at JGE, Abu Dhabi and Trump Dubai, the latter sealed with a course record 65. But that, it turns out, is only half the story.

“It’s been good, I’ve won six of the last seven tournaments I’ve played,” Hill said matter-of-factly.

“I went to the Asian final, that was a great experience, a great course [the Faldo designed-Laguna Lang Co in Vietnam], so I want to get back there, hopefully qualify for that one again.”

Hill will get that chance in November when AESGC again hosts the Faldo Series Europe Grand Final, from which the winners will return to Vietnam.

“I played solid [all week],” he continued. “I played well today obviously but I didn’t hit my driver great but when I was out of position I got back into position and managed to make up and downs so my short game was on point.”

Also on point this week has been the friendly rivalry with Gupta and Bishop with whom Hill played the final 36 holes.

“Yeah, they really good friends. It was fun playing with them and it was fun seeing them playing well as well. Good fun.”

For a clear illustration of just how well Hill and his JGE mates played, know that Denmark’s Mikkel Mathieson was fifth overall and that was good enough to win the U-18 division by six strokes over Italian Sasha Sparacino.

India’s Arkesh Bhatia closed with an impressive 67 to win the U-21 men’s title with a +4 aggregate, 13 strokes ahead of UAE national team player Abdullah Al Qubaisi who slipped with a Wednesday 76.

Even Sir Nick Faldo, the six-time major champion, was impressed by Hill.

“My thanks to Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club on another successful Middle East Championship in Al Ain. Congratulations to all the winners and in particular Josh who is on an incredible run of form of late winning all over the UAE.

“Having played the course myself I know first hand how great the conditioning of the course is and such an experience AESGC has to offer. It was great to have such an international field for the event with 19 nationalities represented, such a global reach is something the Faldo Series is very proud to have. I look forward to meeting the winners in November at AESGC personally, our new European Grand Final home.”

The post Josh Hill flirts with Al Ain course record, settles for 62 to waltz Faldo Series event by six shots appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.