By Kent Gray
By being good at their day jobs, the UAE PGA’s finest have inadvertently done themselves few favours as they look to avert a hat-trick of Dubai Trophy losses this weekend.

The pros will be confronted by one of the youngest, and certainly one of the most in-form, Emirates Golf Federation amateur teams in the 19-year history of the Ryder Cup-style matches. For context, know that EGF captain Max Burrow has the luxury of selecting world amateur No.17 Rayhan Thomas as one of his four picks – Bayhaan Lakdawala, Mike Mezei and Craig Vance are the others – for the showdown at Emirates G.C. and Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club.

But it’s the boy wonders in Burrow’s 16-man line-up – red-hot Josh Hill, Arjun Gupta, Toby Bishop and Bradley Mogire – that pose perhaps the biggest potential banana skins for captain Ryan Smith and his pros.

Related: Fisher chalks one up for the ‘old guys’ at EGF Championship

The talented teens are all products of the increasingly prolific junior development production lines at the various clubs the UAE PGA pros teach out of it. It’s really a win-win scenario, unless of course you’re been charged with beating the confident, treble-seeking whippersnappers, no cinch for teaching professionals who do far more coaching than playing, as Burrow acknowledged.

“We play in events across the region and you now have to score under-par, or significantly under-par to even have a chance of winning,” said Burrow, pointing to the noticeable lift in intensity during amateur tournaments this season.

“This shows how much the amateur game in the region has developed in recent years and it has certainly been a contributing factor to our recent successes in the Dubai Golf Trophy. I am confident the amateur team can continue our vein of form in this competition due to the strength-in-depth…we have a youthful team on exceptional form…”

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

No kidding. In Hill and 51-year-old Steven Kelbrick, the amateurs have the past two EGF Order-of-Merit champions while the performance of Emirati national squad member Ahmad Skaik will also be watched closely.

While the amateur team is made up of the top-12 players in the 2017-18 EGF OOM plus four picks, the pro team features the top-14 players from the UAE PGA Tour plus two picks – Al Ain’s Shane Peacock and The Monty’s Martin Robinson.

Steven Kelbrick

Cen Mills is a noticeable absentee from the pro line-up, the former UAE PGA champion having left the Creek to return home to Wales. But Smith’s team still oozes class, headed by 2017-18 OOM champion Stefan Wears-Taylor and Al Ain’s Tom Buchanan who teed it up in the European Tour’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in January.

The Dubai Trophy will be Wears-Taylor’s Middle East swan-song before he pursues a fulltime playing career back home in South Africa. The 21-year-old will partner Smith (Monty) in Saturday morning’s opening foursomes (alternate shot) matches against Mogire and Lawry Cook. Jack Woods and Jordan Gallacher also face a tough opener against amateurs Thomas and Bayhaan Lakdawala but the standout clash pits UAE PGA chief executive Luke Plumb and his Trump Dubai colleague Mike Bolt against Hill and Gupta.

Related: Wears-Taylor sets sights on Sunshine Tour after defending UAE PGA’s flagship title to seal regional OOM race

Emirates G.C. will also host a round of afternoon fourball matches on Saturday before the singles matches and prize-giving dinner at DCGYC on Sunday. The pros lead the overall series 14 wins to four but Smith knows his UAE PGA brethren are in for a tough weekend.

“This will be my 8th Dubai Golf Trophy and I feel honoured to be the captain of the professional team this year. Based on the previous two years we are definitely coming into the event as the underdogs, but are more determined than ever to regain the trophy this year.”

It’s not quite the Ryder Cup but it’s as close as it gets in the UAE. And all the pressure is on the UAE PGA pros who won’t want to turn up to work on Monday having to explain a third successive loss.

The post The Dubai Golf Trophy teams have been unveiled and there are some juicy opening day match-ups appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

He’s had a ball as assistant teaching professional at Al Zorah G.C. in Ajman for the past two years but his successful defence of the UAE PGA Championship on Tuesday, to sew up the season-long OOM title in style, reinforced the decision to have a crack at playing full-time. The 21-year-old will return to his home town of Pretoria in mid-May and begin playing the IGT Challenge Tour from July. It’s a development circuit, now aligned with the Big Easy Tour and a stepping-stone to South Africa’s main Sunshine Tour which Wears-Taylor hopes to crack via Q-School next March.

“If I leave it, never do it, I know I’ll regret it in 10 years time, like woah, why didn’t I at least try,” said Wears-Taylor of the next chapter in a life which included marrying Rochelle last August.

“My wife and I, we’re pretty happy where we are in life and it will be nice to return home, be back around family to help us, a nice base and I can crack on. The IGT is a great tour, about where the MENA Tour was two or three years ago. There’s good players, all hungry for success so hopefully I can get a few results to get ready for Q-School and get onto the Sunshine Tour.”

He hasn’t committed yet but is likely to return to the club of his boyhood, Woodhill Country Club, and intends finishing the final year of his three-year PGA training to ensure he has something to fall back on if the touring life doesn’t work out.

But the way he’s played in the UAE the last two years – he’s backed up a four-win rookie season with a four more titles this 2017-18 season – he looks to have the goods to have a decent nudge in the play for your mortgage ranks.

Wears-Taylor backed up an opening 67 in the UAE PGA’s flagship event at Arabian Ranches with a one-over 73 on Tuesday to finish -4, a stroke ahead of Trump Dubai pro Mike Bolt who finished with wet sails with a 68.  Shane Peacock (Al Ain) was third on -2 while UAE PGA chief executive Luke Plump (Even) and Malcolm Young (+2) rounded out the top five.

“I’m stoked about it,” Wears-Taylor said of his successful defence at Arabian Ranches. “Especially as it’s my last strokeplay event out here. When you see a player like [Abu Dhabi G.C. director of golf] Callum Nicoll’s name on the trophy two years in a row, to sort of be in that category, it’s pretty special.”

Great way to end a memorable @uaepga season! ??? Thanks for all the support from family and friends. ? @taylormadegolf_me @alzorahgolfclub #golf #golfer #win #pga #sport #trophy #champion #yesplease

A post shared by Stefan Wears-Taylor (@stefwt1) on May 1, 2018 at 6:03am PDT

The post Wears-Taylor sets sights on Sunshine Tour after defending UAE PGA’s flagship title to seal regional OOM race appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Actually, make that good start a great one. The young Al Zorah professional opened the UAE PGA’s flagship event with a five under 67 at Arabian Ranches on Monday. It earned the tournament’s defending champion a four-stroke halfway lead over the trio of Jack Woods (Dubai Creek), Joe Marshall (Butch Harmon School of Golf) and Shane Peacock (Al Ain).

More importantly, Wears-Taylor enjoys a six-stroke buffer over Smith (The Address Montgomerie) heading into Tuesday’s final round after the newly minted UAE PGA Matchplay champion signed for a one-over 73.

It means Smith has it all to do on Tuesday although the way Wears-Taylor is playing, a fourth 2017-18 UAE PGA title looks his to lose. The real excitement could yet be lower down the leaderboard as players jockey for the last spots in the UAE PGA team for the May 12-13 Dubai Trophy.

As captain, Smith has two picks in his 14-man team for the matches at Emirates G.C. and Dubai Creek where the pros will be out to avoid a hat-trick of losses to the Emirates Golf Federation’s leading amateurs.

With defending OOM champion Cen Mills (Dubai Creek), currently third in this season’s points race, unavailable, there are spots up for grabs and Creek colleague Woods (17th) and the Monty’s Martin Robinson (18th) are well positioned after the first round to make a last gasp bid. Robinson was T-10 overnight after an opening 74.

Meanwhile, Jumeirah Golf Estates hosts the 36-hole EGF OOM Championship on May 4-5 to finalise the amateur team for the Dubai Trophy. One name guaranteed for the youngsters is JGE 14-year-old Josh Hill who has won seven EGF titles this summer, including six in an incredible three month spell.

The post Wears-Taylor makes fast start to UAE PGA Championship defence appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The 21-year-old Al Zorah pro looped the testing The Track, Meydan Golf in two-under 70 on Sunday to back up his win in the season-opening Yas Links Pro-Am.

Related: Wears-Taylor wins Yas Links Pro-Am to pick up where he left off last season

Wears-Taylor finished four strokes clear of host-club pro Alex Nicholson and the in-form duo of Ryan Smith (The Address Montgomerie, Dubai) and Michael Bolt (Trump International G.C., Dubai).

The win sees Wear-Taylor atop the OOM standings with 661.60 points, 155.8 points clear of Bolt who secured his second UAE PGA title at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting and Golf Club a fortnight ago after beating Smith in a playoff after both had posted 68s.

Great to be out on the @alzorahgolfclub fairways again! @taylormadegolf #golfislife #taylormade #whywelovethisgame @beautifulgolfcourses

A post shared by Stefan Wears-Taylor (@stefwt1) on Sep 10, 2017 at 8:06pm PDT

The OOM top 5 after the Track is: Wears-Taylor (661.60 pts), Bolt (505.80 pts), Smith (413.10 pts), newly appointed UAE PGA CEO Luke Plumb (Trump Dubai/377.50 pts) and Mikael Gartner (CV Sports Group/343 pts).

After a short break with the industry focused on the European Tour’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates, the UAE PGA Tour resumes at Arabian Ranches on Nov. 27. There are also events scheduled for Trump Dubai (Dec. 4) and Saadiyat Beach (Dec. 12).

The post Wears-Taylor waltzes away with second UAE PGA Tour title of the season at The Track appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The 21-year-old South African won the 2017-18 season-opening Yas Links Pro-Am with a four-under 68 at the Abu Dhabi club on Tuesday. It followed a noteworthy four-win rookie season for the Al Zorah G.C. -attached PGA Trainee, capped by a three-stroke victory in the flagship UAE PGA Championship at the Ajman course in May.

Play the Dubai Creek UAE PGA Pro-Am on Oct.16!

Wears-Taylor made the most of a frustrating dress-rehearsal at Yas Links the previous week when he missed the 36-hole cut in the MENA Tour’s Golf Citizen Abu Dhabi Open following rounds of 77-72.

“Tuesday’s round was a nice way to start the season, especially after last week in the MENA Tour where I struggled a bit, but learnt a lot,” Wears-Taylor told Golf Digest Middle East of his two-shot victory over Luke Plump (Trump Dubai) and Austin Cahill (Yas Links). Yas Links General Manager Howie Roberts finished fourth on 71, the only other sub-par score.

“I struggled with my putting but managed to sort that out quickly on the greens at Al Zorah and the flat stick was very hot this week so I’m very pleased to see that. I just need to keep it hot throughout the season.”

Related: Wears-Taylor captures UAE PGA Championship at Al Zorah

Wears-Taylor started off with a birdie on his opening hole, the tricky par 4 16th at Yas but he gave it back on the even tougher par 3 17th.

“I got my bearings back in order and made two good pars on 18 and one and then on the [par 5] 2nd hole I left myself a 20ft putt after my second and rolled that one in for an eagle.”

Pars followed until the 7th where Wears-Taylor made his second birdie of the day.  He started the back nine nicely too with two birdies on 10 and 11 but gave those back when a lapse of concentration led to a double bogey on 13. But his penchant for the par 5s paid off again with a two-putt birdie 14th.

“Overall I’m happy with the round but I’ll definitely be out on the lush fairways of Al Zorah to work on a few more detailed things. I’m very fortunate to have the practice facilities here at AZGC to do my drills on, couldn’t ask for better conditions to train on! “

The next event on the UAE PGA Order-of-Merit schedule is at Al Hamra G.C. next Tuesday, an event that doubles as a qualifier for the European Challenge Tour’s Ras Al Khaimah 2017 Golf Challenge at the RAK club from Oct. 25-28. The Dubai Creek UAE PGA Pro-Am follows Oct.16. Amateurs are invited to register here.

The post Al Zorah trainee Wears-Taylor captures fifth title in fast start to UAE PGA Tour season appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Making the most of his home club knowledge and some sublime ball striking on the Ajman layout’s par 5s, Wears-Taylor added a three-under 69 to his opening 70 to finish the UAE PGA Championship on five-under 139, three shots clear of Arabian Ranches’ Malcolm Young.

Tom Buchanan (Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club) produced a closing 71, one of just four sub-par rounds (from a possible 46) over the two days, to finish solo third on 146.

Defending UAE PGA champion Steven Munro needed to finish fourth to overhaul Mills (Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club) in the order of merit race where a player’s top-10 results across the season counted towards the final points standings. He was well placed in a share of fourth overnight following an opening 74 but the Abu Dhabi-based UAE PGA chief executive signed for 77 Tuesday to finish tied sixth, confirming Mills, on leave back in the UK, as the 2016-17 champion. Wears-Taylor climbed to third place overall behind Munro after capturing his fourth title in a mainly topsy, topsy-turvy campaign.

For the second day running, Wears-Taylor started his round with a bogey on Al Zorah’s par 4 1^st before settling his nerves with back-to-back pars on the far more menacing, water-guarded 2^nd and 3^rd holes.

The 20-year-old South African, a year through his PGA apprenticeship, then got into gear when he drained a long putt for eagle on the par 5 4^th before birdieing the 6^th, another par 5, to make the turn at -2.

Young remained his closest challenger throughout but the lanky South African’s length again paid dividends on a par 5 when he stuck a six iron to four feet on the 11^th and duly rolled in the eagle putt.

Stefan Wears-Taylor. Photo courtesy Darren King/Al Zorah GC

Another birdie saw him dip to -5 through 12 before a double on 13 and another dropped shot on 17 hinted at a last gasp wobble. But Wears-Taylor held his nerve and birdied the last to win in style – and for the second time in as many weeks after edging Gavin Sutherland in a playoff at Trump Dubai.

“I don’t think it’s sunk in yet but it’s a nice way to finish a weird season,” said Wears-Taylor.

“I started well [winning October’s Patrons Pro Am at DCGYC and at The Track, Meydan Golf the following month], in the middle I lost my way as my mind ran away a little bit thinking about what I could achieve, and then I’ve ended brilliantly. It’s the perfect way to finish before summer.”

Young kept it classy after a second successive near-run thing in a tournament he won in 2012.

“Always a great two days to end the tournament season in the UAE and my favourite event of the season. Sadly the bridesmaid poition for the second year running but delighted to finish runner-up to a very worthy winner in Stefan Wears-Taylor…great scoring today on the par 5s and impressive total -5 for the event,” Young said.

The post Wears-Taylor captures UAE PGA Championship at Al Zorah appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Wears-Taylor looped the Troon Golf-managed, Nicklaus Design in Ajman in two-under 70 Monday, two strokes clear of Arabian Ranches’ Malcolm Young on a day when only two of the 23 starters could match or better par. Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club’s Shane Peacock was solo third on 73.

Munro, the UAE PGA’s Abu-Dhabi-based chief executive, started his title defence with a 74, a +2 score matched by Jumeirah Golf Estates’ Matthew Allanson.

It left Munro, who won the UAE PGA Matchplay title at Trump Dubai last week, in pole-position to capture the association’s season-long OOM race with leader Cennydd Mills (Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club) holidaying back in the UK and powerless in the final say.

Munro needs to finish fourth or better to overhaul Mills while JGE’s big-hitting Gavin Sutherland, who opened with a 75 for a share of sixth place, can overhaul Munro for second place on the OOM but only with victory and a dramatic reverse from Munro.

“I should have scored better but struggled to hole any putts of any significance today,” said Munro who mixed birdies on 4 and 6 with bogeys on the 2nd, 9th,14th and 15^th.

“I had lots of pars but I had a couple of disappointing late bogeys on 14 and 15 and then missed three really good opportunities on last three holes for birdies.

“Realistically I need to shoot no worse than par tomorrow to have a strong chance of winning the OOM. The course is fantastic and a good score is possible for sure.”

Munro predicts he’ll need at least a 68 Tuesday for a shot at repeat titles: “My aim is to still to retain the PGA Champs trophy tomorrow obviously”. But while he still has designs on a perfect finish to the OOM race, Wears-Taylor will take some beating if his recent form is any indication.

The tall 20-year-old South African, a pro shop assistant and trainee PGA Professional at Al Zorah, won his third event of the UAE PGA season at Trump Dubai late last month in a playoff over Sutherland and clearly knows how to navigate Al Zorah. It promises a fitting finale to the OOM race where a players top-10 placings count towards the points championship.

The post Wears-Taylor at it again as Munro closes in on UAE PGA order-of-merit title appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

“I’ve played golf my whole life, started when I was three years old, and I couldn’t sit in a classroom any more,” the South African told Golf Digest Middle East after spending a year focused on maths and biology. “I want to stay working in the game forever.”

Life sorted, Wears-Taylor asked a mate working in Dubai to keep an ear to the ground for golf opportunities across the UAE and soon found himself manning the pro shop at Al Zorah Golf Club six weeks after the Nicklaus Design course opened in Ajman.

The 20-year-old is now a year through his PGA apprenticeship and is playing some tidy golf to boot. On Tuesday Wears-Taylor won his third event of the 2016-2017 UAE PGA season, edging Gavin Sutherland (Jumeirah Golf Estates) in a playoff at Trump International Golf Club Dubai.

So is a career inside the ropes on the cards, or will it be teaching? Or maybe golf management?

“There’s always the dream of taking it [playing] further but as long as I stay in golf, I’ll be happy,” Wears-Taylor said.

“I’m not sure which will bite first, teaching or management. I got very lucky [landing the shop attendant role at Al Zorah] and I’m very happy out here, especially working for Troon International. That just widens your opportunities.

“Then again, being a player [touring pro] can also take you around the world but I’m just enjoying what I have at the moment. We’ll see how it goes.”

Stefan Wears-Taylor is congratulated by Trump International Golf Club Dubai Director of Golf Craig Waddell

Wears-Taylor clearly has game. He negotiated the 7229-yard Trump Dubai in one-under 70 on Tuesday, mixing birdies on the 2^nd, 7^th and 9^th with bogeys on the 5^th and 11^th.

Sutherland applied the blowtorch in the playoff with a tight approach to the first green but Wears-Taylor responded, sticking his second to 12 feet before holing the putt after Sutherland’s own birdie attempt slid by.

It comes after wins in October’s Patrons Pro Am at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club and at The Track, Meydan Golf the following month and has seen Wears-Taylor creep up to fourth place on the order of merit.

He’ll miss Monday’s penultimate strokeplay event in Al Ain but will have home club advantage on his side for the season-ending UAE PGA Tour Championship at Al Zorah on May 1-2.

Dubai Creek teaching professional Cennydd Mills, a five-time winner this season, finished solo third at Trump to remain atop the overall OOM standings ahead of Sutherland while UAE PGA chief executive Steven Munro is third.

SEE ALSO
Put a ring around your chip shots with Cennydd Mills

Abu Dhabi PGA Open win a Bolt out of the blue for Trump pro

 Munro will defend his Tour Championship title and also remains in the hunt for the UAE PGA Matchplay title. He meets either David Gray (DG Golf) or Tom Henderson (JGE) on April 25 for a place in the final later that day. Defending champion Callum Nicoll (Abu Dhabi GC) plays Rory Young (Al Ghazal) in Tuesday’s other semifinal.

The post Wears-Taylor wins UAE PGA event at Trump, continues to live the dream appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.