By Kent Gray
The Emirates Golf Federation amateurs are seven points away from an historic Dubai Trophy hat-trick after dominating the opening day of the annual Ryder Cup-style matches against the UAE PGA’s finest.

Max Burrow’s EGF team lead Ryan Smith’s pros 10-6 heading into Sunday’s singles matches after capturing Saturday’s morning foursomes and the afternoon fourballs on the Faldo course at Emirates G.C. by identical 5-3 margins.

It means the amateurs need to win just six of today’s 16 singles matches at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club to guarantee a halved match and retention of the trophy as defending champions. But they’ll want to do it in style with seven or more points and Smith’s team are up against it in more ways than one; not only do they need to win the singles 11-5 or better, they will have to overcome a confident team and a suffocating sandstorm that has swept across Dubai.

World amateur No.17 Rayhan Thomas and experienced Bayhaan Lakdawala combined for two wins for the amateurs on Saturday, easing past Jack Woods and Jordan Gallagher 4&3 in the foursomes and David Gray and Mikael Gartner 3&1 in the foursomes.

Newly minted EGF OOM Championship winner Nathan Fisher and Mike Mezei, the latter a captain’s pick like Lakdawala, are also unbeaten after 3&2 and 2up victories over Malcolm Young and Jonathan Craddock in the foursome and fourball matches respectively.

Tough conditions for Day 2 of the Dubai Golf trophy @DubaiCreekGolf | For live scoring: https://t.co/GUeQhE6cxT or download the Golf Genius Software Application and log in using the code DUBAIGOLFTROPHY pic.twitter.com/rEel5NUVFu

— Dubai Creek Golf (@DubaiCreekGolf) May 13, 2018

Teens Josh Hill and Arjun Gupta are also unbeaten (as were Lawry Cook and Bradley Mogire), coasting past Trump Dubai’s Luke Plumb and Mike Bolt 3&2 in the foursomes before an epic halved fourball match against the same opposition.

“We were rubbish in the morning but in the afternoon we were seven under better ball to halve,” said Plumb. “We played out of our skin to halve with them,” the UAE PGA chief executive continued before admitting he was pleased to avoid Hill in today’s singles. “Arjun was good too to be fair.”

Shane Peacock has drawn the short Hill straw for the singles which began at 11.30am. The Al Ain pro will fancy his chances; he was unbeaten alongside club mate Tom Buchanan on Saturday.

Also recording a pair of wins for the pros were Joe Way and Mike Major who will enjoy home course advantage on Sunday.

For those wanting to follow the scores you can download Golfgenius app and can log in with the GGID code DUBAIGOLFTROPHY

— UAE PGA (@uaepga) May 12, 2018

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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.

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