“I played in Asia Pacific Amateur Championship and Nomura Cup for India earlier but when I tee off in the Asian Games, it will be different feeling for me and the whole family,” said the 18-year-old, Dubai-domiciled MENA Tour player who will represent India in the team and individual championships at Jakarta’s Pondok Indah G.C.

RELATED: Thomas thrilled by India call-up for 18th Asian Games

Now, UAE interest in the continent’s largest, Commonwealth Games style multi-sport event has been tripled with Mohamed Adel Al Hajeri and Reema Al Heloo confirmed to represent the country at the Aug. 23-26 tournament.

Al Hajeri, 17, and 16-year-old Al Heloo will contest the respective men’s and women’s individual strokeplay events over 72 holes.

The young Emirati duo ramped up their preparation four months ago and joined the wider UAE squad at a two week summer camp in Germany last month where physical fitness and mental preparation were the focus.

“We feel that our players are ready to compete and represent the UAE at the best of their ability,” said Emirates Golf Federation Secretary General and National Team Manager, Khalid Mubarak Al Shamsi.

“Representing the UAE at the Asian Games will be a great honour and achievement for Reema and Mohamed. The Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) is proud of the hard work and determination that they have put into their preparation.”

The post Young Emirati duo to represent UAE at 2018 Asian Games appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
Abdalla Al Musharrekh has won the final UAE monthly medal of the season – and family bragging rights in the process after piping his father to the title.

It was a close run thing at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club with Abdalla winning on a count back from Mohammed Al Musharrekh after son and father finished with 36 stableford points on Saturday. Abdalla also recorded the leading gross score, a 7-over-par 78.

UAE national team player Reema Al Heloo was third overall with 35 points with the A (0-14 handicap) and B (14-24 handicap) divisions were scooped by Daood Jaffal with Rashid Al Qubaisi with 34 and 35 points respectively.

Rashid Al Jassmey capped a promising season by winning the juni0r competition among 20 members of the National Foundation Squad with a gross score of 30 on the Creek’s Par 3 Academy course, one clear of Mohammed Skaik. Abdulla Kalbat was third with a 33.

The next event for Emirati golfers is the Dubai Duty Free National Cup on May 5 at Arabian Ranches Golf Club.

The post Abdalla Al Musharrekh edges father for EGF monthly medal glory appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Thabet’s five-under, second-round loop of the Abu Dhabi links followed a wind-swept opening 73 and saw him capture the prestigious crown for the second time with a record four-under par aggregate of 140.

He beat Ahmed Skaik by eight shots after one bad back nine hole in the second round cost Skaik who signed for scores of 73-75. Hassan Al Musharrekh rounded out the podium after rounds of 73-80 for a 157 total.

“To win this event twice under the patronage of His Highness Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan is a big honour,” said Thabet. “Having my name carved on the trophy and to go down in UAE golf history for firing the lowest score at this event means a lot to me. My hard work is paying off and by shooting my lowest round of my career is proof of that. I knew I was mentally and physically prepared. I think the turning point was when I got three birdies in a row during my second round on 11, 12, and 13.

Thabet is presented with the Presidents Cup by HH Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan from the Minister of Culture, Youth, and Social Development.

“Moving forward I am going to get back to the driving range and gym and continue to work on my game. I will better my game through the EGF Order of Merit in prep for national team events. I also have my eye on making a spot on the amateur Dubai Trophy Team. I look forward to continue to represent my country locally and internationally.”

Abdulla Al Musharrekh won the net title with a 144 aggregate at the HSBC sponsored event which attracted a record field of 82, plus 18 players in the new Par 3 Championship.

Reema Al Heloo clinched back-to-back ladies titles with a 167 gross score for 23-over-par. Eida Al Muhairbi’s 146, two-over par, got the job done in the ladies net category.

Obaid Al Heloo shot a championship total of 177 to claim his first ever UAE Presidents Cup victory ahead of runner-up Rashid Al Emadi in the Junior division with Khaled Al Mutawa taking the net prize with a 178 total.

Yas Links’ challenging Academy Course hosted the Par 3 championship contested by 18 members of the EGF Foundation Squad aged between 8 and 15. Rashid Al Jassmy won ahead of his brother Sultan Al Jassmy with Saad Al Zarouni third on countback.

All the UAE Presidents Cup winners.

The post Thabet fires five-under PB at Yas Links to win UAE Presidents Cup in record fashion appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The two Emirates Golf Federation (EGF)-backed teams – Mohamed Al Hajeri and Reema Al Heloo (UAE 2) and Rashid Al Emadi and Tara Al Marzooqi (UAE 1) – finished 34th and 38th respectively of the 38 teams representing 20 countries in the mixed gender Mitsubishi Corporation Cup tournament at Hong Kong Golf Club.

Al Hajeri and Reema Al Heloo produced the UAE highlights with scores of 78 (fourball), 82 (foursomes) and 77 and 95 respectively in the individual stroke play for a 332 aggregate. In 2016 the duo returned scores of 91-100-96-97 in Taoyuan City, Taiwan to finish on 384 — a massive 52 shot difference.

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Al Hajeri is making significant progress, highlighted by the 19 shot difference in his final round scores from Taiwan and Hong Kong.

However, the best performing UAE team still finished 52 over par for the week and a whopping 69 shots behind winners Yuki Ikeda and Yuka Yasuda (Japan No. 2) who signed for a -17 aggregate to win by seven strokes from Australia.

Al Emadi and Al Marzooqi, meanwhile, finished +115, 395 for the week, emphasising the gulf the UAE must gap at international level.  Al Marzooqi will be slightly disappointed that her individual score of 101 was two strokes worse than her effort in Taiwan 12 months earlier.

“We are happy to see improvement from our players this year and we met some of our goals,” said Khalid Mubarak Al Shamsi, EGF Secretary General and UAE National Team Captain.

“The more our young players play in championships like this, the more improvements we will see internationally and regionally.”

The post Mohamed Al Hajeri produces UAE highlight at eye-opening Asia Pacific Junior Championship appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Reema Al Heloo, Tara Al Marzooqi, Mohammed Al Hajeri and Rashid Al Emadi will represent the UAE at the 2017 Asia Pacific Junior Championship in Hong Kong from August 30.

The three-day, 54-hole U-17 tournament on the New course at Hong Kong G.C. is a unique mixed gender event where teams select one male and female to play each day in three different formats – fourball (round 1), foursomes (round 2) and individual strokeplay (round 3). Teams from the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation’s (APGC) 45 member federations are invited.

The UAE will take momentum with them to Hong Kong with Al Heloo and Al Marzooqi fresh from claiming gold at the latest GCC Ladies Golf Championship. Al Marzooqi also won the individual GCC title.

A product of the Emirates Golf Federation’s National Junior Development Program (NJDP), Al Emadi also enjoyed a memorable GCC Championship winning individual and team titles in the boys U15 division.

Khalid Mubarak Al Shamsi, EGF Secretary General, and UAE non-playing captain will guide the team in Hong Kong.

“The girls have had a few strong years in our region but this will be a good test for them leading into the 2017-2018 season that starts in October. This championship will be a good measurement to see how their game has improved since we’ve competed in this event last year,” he said.

“We have had a two-week summer camp in Germany during July and a full month of preparation for this championship and the upcoming season. We have set personal goals for this event and I think we will achieve them.”

The post UAE juniors eye Asia Pacific progress in Hong Kong appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

“I went for a walk with Mum. We thought it was a park but we saw people playing and I liked it.”

Al Heloo was eight when she stumbled upon the game at what was then Al Badia Golf Club. Fast-forward six years and the Emirati 14-year-old is a 12-handicap trailblazer for the Emirates Golf Federation’s (EGF) national women’s squad and Arab women’s amateur golf in general.

Al Heloo’s promise was highlighted when she was named National Player-of-the-Year at the Middle East Golf Awards. It was further reward after she topped the individual standings at the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Golf Championship in Qatar last March to spearhead the UAE to the women’s team title.

A gifted artist and the only golfer at Nadd Al Hamar School Dubai, Al Heloo’s golfing idol is four-time Omega Dubai Ladies Masters champion Shanshan Feng whom she met during December’s Pro-Am.

EGF coaches Greg Holmes and David Condon, striving to build national fortunes from a junior foundation, are delighted the youngster idolises the Chinese superstar as it gives her a target far beyond the fairways of the Arab golf world.

The EGF wants its players to treat national selection as a stepping-stone to collegiate golf in the U.S. and perhaps even a professional career, not the final destination.

It is bringing in experts such as South African movement specialist Jaike Carter to smooth the pathway and Al Heloo is displaying the necessary work ethic to progress. The promising journey continues.

Editor’s note: The article first appeared in the Feb. 2017 issue of Golf Digest Middle East. Al Heloo has since collected an individual bronze medal at the 2017 GCC Championships in Bahrain. Team-mate Tara Al Marzooqi clinched the individual gold as the UAE successfully defended its ladies title.

The post Emirati teen Reema Al Heloo blazes Arab women’s trail appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Fourteen-year-old 12-handicapper Al Heloo will be looking to repeat her win in the individual standings as the UAE set out to defend the ladies team title while 17-year-old Al Hajeri will make his senior debut in the 21^st edition of the men’s championship.

Both tournaments – the 3^rd annual ladies championship over 54 holes and the 72 hole men’s event – are being hosted by the Royal Golf Club in Riffa which has been readied for play despite suffering major flood damage last Friday.

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Mohammed Adel Al Hajeri, 17, will make his senior team debut for the UAE in Bahrain

Al Heloo, fresh from capturing the 2017 UAE Presidents Cup title at Yas Links, is joined by Hamda Al Suwaidi and Tara Al Marzooqi. Al Marzooqi was part of the winning team at the 2017 Gary Player Invitation Abu Dhabi.

Al Hajeri, meanwhile, has climbed his way through the National Golf Team Program to secure his spot in this week’s championship where he teams with Khalid Yousuf, 2017 UAE Presidents Cup champion Rashid Hamood, and rising talent Ahmed Skaik.

The UAE men claimed the bronze medal at last year’s GCC tournament behind hosts Qatar and second-placed Bahrain.

“We are very happy with our selection of the senior team for this championship. We have a good mixture or young talent and experienced players,” said EGF Secretary General Khalid Mubarak Al Shamsi.

“This might be the strongest team that we have had for a few years and we are expecting to see some good scores. Having Al Hajeri playing in his first senior championship shows that the Emirates Golf Federation and the National Team Program is capable of producing young talented golfers.”

The post Teens set to shine for UAE at GCC Championships in Bahrain appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.