Anxious to avoid a fifth straight defeat in the annual Ryder Cup-style matches, the pros will take a two-point, 9-7 advantage into the 16 singles matches at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club after a particularly satisfying afternoon of work on Earth yesterday.

 

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DGT2020

A post shared by DGT (@dubai_golf_trophy) on Oct 3, 2020 at 12:16am PDT

The amateurs established a 5-3 lead after the opening foursomes at Jumeirah Golf Estates on Saturday, highlighted by 2&1 wins for Josh Hill and Toby Bishop and Emirati duo Ahmad Skaik and Khalid Yousuf over Michael Major and Tom Buchanan and Ryan Smith and David Laing respectively.

Hill and Bishop were impressively six-under in seeing off Major and Buchanan.

 

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A few from today’s #dubaigolftrophy @j.hill_golf and @welsh_golfer shot six under to win their foursomes 2&1! It was a great match, well done lads! @robwattsperformance

A post shared by Russell Hill (@golf_osteo_path_dxb) on Oct 3, 2020 at 12:05am PDT

But the pros mounted an impressive comeback in the afternoon fourballs, winning six of the eight matches. Hill and Bishop kept their unbeaten record intact for the amateurs with a 2&1 win over Buchanan and Samuel McLaren while Arjun Gupta and Dave Guinee kept the amateurs in the contest with an important 3&2 win over Steven Munro and Malcolm Young.

Check out the putt Hill drained to seal a second win with Bishop.

 

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Good day at the office, the 4 ball second match today was a grid but Josh carried a boogie free day on till the end! Most important lesson was proving that golf still can be won with only three GOOD shots and 65 average shots in a round! @jmgolfcoach thanks had to borrow that! #dubaigolftrophy

A post shared by Russell Hill (@golf_osteo_path_dxb) on Oct 3, 2020 at 8:34am PDT

Boom.

There were big 5&4 wins for the Michaels, Major and Bolt, over Max Barrow and Bayhaan Lakdawala, and for Jackson Bell and captain Luke Plumb over Barry Pavic and Gordon Munro. Louis Gaughan and Jordan Gallagher were also impressive 4&3 winners over Skaik and Yousuf.

And so onto Sunday’s singles where there are some intriguing matchups with Hill pitted against newly minted UAE PGA Matchplay champion Major in the first match out at 11.30am. EGF captain Steven Kelbrick, who will face Gallagher, has stacked his order hoping for a fast start to ratchet up the pressure on the Plumb’s pros.

A fascinating Sunday awaits at The Creek.

 

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All to play for tomorrow with the UAE PGA Professionals leading the way 9-7 from the EGF amateurs. Morning foursomes 3-5 afternoon fourballs 6-2 so a come back from the pros. #dubaicreek #jumeirahgolfestates #dubaigolftrophy #dubaigolf #uaepga #egf

A post shared by UAE PGA (@uaepga) on Oct 3, 2020 at 8:03am PDT

The post UAE PGA pros fightback for 9-7 lead heading into Sunday’s Dubai Trophy singles appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

After being on European duty last summer, COVID-confined Josh Hill, Toby Bishop and Arjun Gupta are back to bolster Steven Kelbrick’s EGF line-up who are seeking a fifth straight win in the 54-hole event set for Jumeirah Golf Estates and Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club on Oct. 3-4.

Hill, fresh from a run to the round of 16 at The 125th Amateur Championship at Royal Birkdale, and Gupta are two of Kelbrick’s four picks, joining Sharjah’s William Xu and Emirati international Khalid Yousuf. Bishop qualified through the truncated EGF Order of Merit season which was won by Dan Byrne. The Els Club Dubai youngster adds yet more firepower to the amateur side which was revealed on Thursday to Golf Digest Middle East, along with Plumb’s 16-strong team.

RELATED: Amhad Skaik set for Dubai Trophy history

Plumb has handed captain’s picks to Al Ain’s Tom Buchanan and unattached former Arabian Ranches head pro Malcolm Young, another experienced Dubai Trophy campaigner who forced his way in with a top-five finish at last week’s UAE PGA Championship.

JA The Resort-attached Plumb is confident he has the team to halt a run of four straight losses but also concedes Kelbrick’s team deserve to go in favourites.

“The Amateurs have a really strong side. Golf in the region has some fantastic talent,” Plumb said. “The big three are all playing, Josh, Toby and Arjun, and they are mixed in with lots of experience so they are formidable opposition. I think we are underdogs but certainly have a great chance and there is no pressure on us.”

It’s not that the Pros are lacking talent or form. Plumb just wrapped up the UAE PGA Order of Merit title, Michael Major (Dubai Creek) edged Dong Lee (Emirates G.C.) 3&2 to capture the Henrik Stenson Eyewear UAE PGA Matchplay Championship while UAE national Ahmed Al Musharrekh (EGF) carded rounds of 75-69 at The Creek for a +1 aggregate to become the first Emirati to capture the UAE PGA Championship earlier this week.

 

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Congratulations to @major_michael for winning the 2020 @henrikstensoneyewear UAE PGA Matchplay Championship ???? Mike fired some timely back nine birdies to edge out runner up @dongkyonlee by 3&2. @gaughanlouis pipped @davidlaingpga to finish in overall 3rd Place. A big thank you to our sponsor Henrik Stenson Eyewear & @trumpgolfdubai for the hospitality today. #uaepga #henrikstensoneyewear #matchplay

A post shared by UAE PGA (@uaepga) on Sep 15, 2020 at 5:30am PDT

 

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Congratulations to Ahmed Al Musharrekh on winning the UAE PGA Championship. Ahmed fired a -2, 69 round a testing Dubai Creek for a total of 75/69 +1. This is the largest golf competition for a UAE National to ever win and a fantastic achievement for Ahmed ??? Runner up by only a single shot was @jacksonbell01 JGE with 68/77 +2 and in solo third @graydavid_1 with 72/74 +3. X3 tied 4th on +4 @malc_younggolf @phil_waine @urs_perfectman. A fantastic 2 days @jumeirah.golf @dubaicreekgolf and thanks to all their teams for the hospitality. #dubaigolf #dubaicreek #jumeirahgolfestates #uaepga #uae #winner #champion

A post shared by UAE PGA (@uaepga) on Sep 22, 2020 at 4:24am PDT

“I think the team is extremely strong this year, maybe one of the best I’ve played in with no weak links and lots of people playing well so we go in with a good chance,” Plumb said. “We will be creative with the pairings to try and give us the best chance. I think it’ll just come down to who plays well on the two days. If we play to the level we can, then we have a great chance this year.”

Kelbrick is equally confident, insisting he hadn’t looked at the UAE PGA team.

“We can only control ourselves,” the Trump Dubai member said before recalling his dream performance at the 2019 Senior Open at Royal Lytham and St. Annes.

“It’s the same as Senior Open. We are here now, let’s embrace it and believe that we can win. Five in a row is possible but the key is attitude. We’ve got to enjoy the experience and allow it to lift our performance. That’s the goal.”

The post Big names return as EGF Amateurs chase Dubai Trophy five-peat appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
Even for professionals, qualifying for your first major championship is a genuine dream come true. For Dubai-based amateur Steven Kelbrick, teeing it up in last week’s Senior Open produced an even sweeter sense of satisfaction.

The 52-year-old Trump International Golf Club, Dubai member is still buzzing after sensationally making the cut at Royal Lytham & St Annes where the seemingly ageless Bernhard Langer won for a record fourth time.

Kelbrick dug deep after a weather-interrupted opening 76 that spilt over into  Friday to reach the weekend on the number with a superb second round 69, one under on the famed Lancashire links. Scores of 78-74 over a wet weekend eventually saw him finished T-76 of the 79 players to make the cut.

It was the performance of a lifetime for Kelbrick but not simply because it was his senior major debut. More importantly for the two-time Emirates Golf Federation champion, he ticked off a bucket-list dream of playing in the same event as his hero Tom Watson – and just in time too, it seems.

Kelbrick in action during the third round of the Senior Open. Photo: Jan Kruger/Getty Images

“I’m so happy to have played in same tourney, especially as he announced his retirement from British links golf on the Saturday night,” Kelbrick told Golf Digest Middle East. “All I ever wanted was to peg it up in any tournament that my hero was playing in. I’ve managed that.”

RELATED: Tom Watson’s farewell to major-championship golf comes, fittingly, in a place that helped define his career

Indeed. He also has photographic evidence of one of two brief meetings with U.S. legend who won five Open Championship titles among his eight major title wins and finished T-64 in his Senior Open swansong on +9, just eight shots clear of his greatest Dubai admirer.

Kelbrick, not one prone to hyperbole, kept Golf Digest Middle East abreast of his week via message updates and was most animated when relaying details of his dream meetings with Watson, a three-time Senior Open champion.

“Meet TSW [Thomas Sturges Watson]. So Cool,” Kelbrick said ahead of the opening round. “He told me to go out and play hard, so I will.”

There was another encounter on the range before the rain-delayed final round. “Today he stopped by the range to tell me to play well. Meeting Mr Watson was so inspirational.”

Kelbrick needed the high powered pep talks as Royal Lytham & St Annes, playing just shy of 700 yards in the wild weather, was “brutal”.

The Englishman picks up the story of his week, which started when he advanced via final qualifying with a two-over 74 at Hillside Golf Club in Southport.

“The aim was to play in the same tourney as Mr. Watson once in my life.  The quali was the most nervous as there was an expectation and it was very windy.  Once Monday at 1850 came and I knew that I was in, I was ecstatic,” Kelbrick said

“Tuesday registration and seeing the stands and getting the players badge brought it all home.  Practicing alongside my old friend Peter Mitchell was great [to settle some of the nerves].”

Kelbrick settled on just seven holes in Wednesday practice as he’d played seven days straight by that stage.

Getty Images

“Thursday was building up to [his tee time at} 2.57pm but  two rain delays meant 1800 tee off and unsettling.  Closed in dark at 2135 with three holes to play. We restarted Friday at 7.10am for the three holes and I finished in an ambulance for 76. Before I knew it it was 10.13am and we were back on the on 1st tee again shooting 69 and digging deep.

“Saturday didn’t feel a swing at all and alongside poor conditions played badly but again dug deep to break 80. On Sunday I arrived at course 6.30am and weather again meant we teed off 10th at 3.30pm.  It was difficult to manage [the delay] but happy to grind in poor weather.”

So after achieving a lifetime dream, what’s next?

“To have made the cut gives me the confidence to go ahead and perhaps try for the U.S. Senior Open.”

With Watson’s ‘play hard’ advice stored in his memory bank forever, you wouldn’t bet against Kelbrick achieving that dream either.

The post Inspired by ‘cool’ meeting with Tom Watson, Kelbrick survives weekend in dream Senior Open debut appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

But the 51-year-old Englishman has one final domestic commitment before he sets out for the likes of fabled Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York and Hillside Golf Club in Southport, England – this weekend’s Dubai Trophy.

The Trump Dubai member will take some serious confidence into the annual Ryder Cup-style matches between the EGF’s best and the UAE PGA Tour’s top teaching pros as well after waltzing the 2019 EGF Order of Merit Championship by five strokes at Al Ain Equestrian Shooting & Golf Club last weekend.

Kelbrick had already captured the season-long EGF title before Al Ain but capped another consistent campaign with his first win of the season after firing rounds of 68-68-67 for a 7-under-par, 203 aggregate. He collected a total of 17 birdies during the 54-hole event where Ziang Xu (Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club) was runner-up following rounds of 71-67-70 for a two-under-par, 205 total. UAE National Team Member Ahmed Skaik was third on 215 after scores of 74-71-70.

A job well done to the 2018 – 2019 Order of Merit Season & Championship Winners. Full report to follow. @aesgc pic.twitter.com/6YwScGURNk

— Emirates Golf Fed. (@EGFuaegolf) April 20, 2019

After the Dubai Trophy at Emirates Golf Club and Dubai Creek Golf Club, Kelbrick will begin gearing up for the 83rd Anderson Memorial at Winged Foot from June 6-9. The John G. Anderson Memorial Four-Ball is one of America’s premier amateur invitational events. Created in 1933 to honour Winged Foot founding member and two-time U.S. Amateur runner-up John G. Anderson, the event consists of a 36 hole qualifier followed by two days of match play competition in both Championship and Senior divisions.

Kelbrick, who missed the cut at the recent Jordan Mixed Open, is also eyeing the June 13-15 European Senior Men’s Championship at Golf Patriziale Ascona in Switzerland ahead of Senior Open qualifying at Hillside G.C., also the venue for next month’s British Masters (May 9-12) being hosted by Tommy Fleetwood.

2018 – 2019 Emirates Golf Federation Order of Merit Winners

Hyeonji Kang, meanwhile, won the Ladies EGF Order of Merit Championship by an even more commanding six strokes. Kang shot rounds of 73-66-66 for a five-under-par 205 total while runner-up Chantal El Chaib (72-69-70, 211) and Natalli Gupta (72-74-69, 215) rounded out the podium in Al Ain.

Kang has enjoyed a historic season by winning the not only the overall Ladies OOM title but also winning the Junior Girls Gross Division while also sharing first place in the Junior Girls Nett Division.

The Junior Division was played with the girls and boys combined. Jay Mullane started strong and maintained that lead over the two rounds firing 70-74 for a winning total of 144. Asanka White (75-74) and Viggo Sorensen (77-73) were second and third respectively.

The post Kelbrick eyes fabled Winged Foot and Senior Open qualifying after capturing second EGF season title in three years appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The 15-year-old made it back-to-back wins on the EGF circuit at the weekend when he waltzed to a five-stroke victory over Ziang Xu (SGSC) in the Els Club Men’s Open. Hill carded rounds of 68-69 for a seven-under total of 137 to avenge his runner-up finish 12 months ago and back up his victory in the Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting and Golf Club Open in late March.

The England age-group international is now headed to his homeland for the start of another European summer season and goes in fine fettle. The win at The Els, where he trains under Senior Instruction Joe Marshall at the new Claude Harmon 3 Performance Golf Academy, was his 10th EGF title in just 17 starts. And no, that’s not a misprint.

RELATED: Hill runs away with Trump Dubai club championship

Hill has spent the opening months of 2019 working his way into second place behind countryman Curtis Knipes on the MENA Tour amateur order of merit. He’s placed no worse than T-39 in the five events on the regional Pro-Am circuit so far and will be most buoyed by his T-9 at the Ghala Golf Club Open as he eyes the resumption of the season in September.

For further evidence of the gains Hill has made this winter, check out this post from his father Russell (and some sage advice from Dad too!):

 

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To finish off the pre-summer vids, I love this one, Josh has put in so much work this winter and it shows in the swing speeds! 112mph in September and 128 mph now (fairway finder is 120mph) Good luck to @j.hill_golf over the summer but just remember to enjoy, you are going in the right direction and one summer at 15 years old does not change a golf career! Thanks to @alipargolffitness @jmarshallgolf @superspeedgolf

A post shared by Russell (@russellhillgolf) on Apr 4, 2019 at 8:53pm PDT

For the record, Hill’s Trump International Golf Club Dubai club-mate Steven Kelbrick leads the OOM race with 205 points heading into the 54-hole EGF OOM Championship at AESGC from April 18-20. With his runner-up finish at The Els, Xu closed the gap on Kelbrick – he has 144 points provisionally to be third behind UAE rep Ahmad Skaik (148 pts) – heading into the decider where World Amateur Golf Ranking points will be available for the first time.

Kelbrick, still chasing his first title of the EFG season, bypassed the penultimate event at The Els after earning an invite to the new Jordan Mixed Open where players from the Ladies European Tour, Challenge Tour and Staysure (Senior) Tours played on the same course for the same prize money.

Kelbrick missed the cut at Ayla Golf Club after scores of 73-75. Dutchman Daan Huizing won the title by two shots from Meghan MacLaren, the daughter of LET chief David MacLaren.

The post Teen whizkid Josh Hill waltzes away with crazy 10th EGF title in his last 17 starts appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Friday, Thomas was celebrating back-to-back Omega Emirates Amateur Open titles in Dubai and the MENA Tour trailblazer did it in some style too, five strokes his final margin of victory over Zubair Firdaus (Golf Australia, 74-70 – 144) and Steven Kelbrick (69-75 -144). Kelbrick’s new Trump International Golf Club Dubai club-mate Josh Hill (72-73) was fourth on 145.

Emirates Golf Club is a home away from home for Thomas and the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club member showed why in the 36-hole Emirates Golf Federation order-of-merit event, backing up an opening round of 71 on the Faldo course with a 68 on the Majlis for a 139 aggregate.

? Congratulations @RayhanThomas who has won the OMEGA Emirates Amateur Open 2019 at @EmiratesGC. The two day event saw Thomas score 71 on the Faldo Course and 68 on the Majlis Course to finish -5 and take the title for a second consecutive year! ? pic.twitter.com/X8O7CgcAxp

— OMEGA Golf Dubai (@OMEGAGolfDubai) January 11, 2019

The win was made all the more sweet as Thomas had his father John caddying for him.

“It was great carrying his bag today – it’s been a while but I enjoyed it,” John said. “[Rayhan’s] Games in good shape. Always room for improvement – hopefully will be ready for a classic act.”

The four-under loop of the Majlis was indeed timely as it was on the same layout where Thomas will look to repeat his Omega Dubai Desert Classic heroics of 2017 in the 30th anniversary edition of the European Tour event from Jan. 24-27.

The Oklahoma State University-bound amateur, who made the cut in the European Tour event two years ago, is set for a mouth-watering amateur showdown on the Majlis with Jovan Rebula, the nephew of three time Desert Classic winner and four-time major champion Ernie Els.

RELATED: Thomas to take on Ernie Els’ nephew in spicy amateur showdown at 30th Desert Classic

Rebula became the first South African since Bobby Cole in 1966 to win the British Amateur Championship last summer and went on to play The Open Championship at Carnoustie. After the Desert Classic, he’ll also tee it up in The Masters at Augusta National and the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.

Paul Byrne, meanwhile, won the net title at the Omega Emirates Amateur Open with a 145 aggregate, his closing net 70 on the Majlis pipping Emirates G.C. clubmate Chaher Sakkal on a countback. Pavel Foubik Jnr was third on 148.

Rayhan Thomas at his home Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club (Photo: David Cannon/Getty Images)

The post Thomas warms up for Desert Classic with Majlis 68 en-route to Omega Emirates Amateur Open defence appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
Steven Kelbrick is living proof that life begins at 50 and has a golf magazine article to prove it.  Now he also subscribes to the fabled adage that warns: “Beware the injured/sick golfer”.

Related: Meet the Dubai amateur chasing a St. Andrews play date with Tom Watson

Full of the dreaded man flu, the 50-year-old Dubai amateur finally, somehow, landed a long overdue Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) order of merit title after signing for rounds of 72-71 to clinch the Tower Links Men’s Open on Saturday.  Kelbrick’s 143 aggregate edged Arjun Gupta (Jumeirah Golf Estates) by two strokes with Scotsman Robert Glenesk third a further shot back.

The Brit flew out to the UK on business after contesting the Staysure Tour’s (formerly European Senior Tour’s) Sharjah Senior Golf Masters earlier this month and has struggled with a head cold ever since.

“It’s funny, you’re not thinking about anything other than feeling awful and then you write down a number and all of the sudden it’s ‘oh s…’ that’s not bad,” he said.

Kelbrick is the defending EGF OOM champion after rattling off eight top five finishes and two-second place finishes in 2016-17. He’s finished no worse than fifth in all five starts this season including a third runner-up finish to teen Josh Hill at the Abu Dhabi Men’s Open in February.

Related: Josh Hill, just 13, fires Trump course record en-route to third successive EGF title

You’d think the near misses would be frustrating, but not for Kelbrick.

“It really is nice to win one and it probably should have mattered more in the past but I was really only focused on winning the order of merit last season. This year I really wanted to qualify for the Dubai Trophy [May 12-13 matches pitting the EGF’s best against UAE PGA teaching professionals]. I really enjoyed that last year and I should have secured it now, it should be a done deal.”

Kelbrick still has to play at least one more OOM event to qualify (amateurs need a minimum six starts to be eligible] so has this weekend’s Al Ain Men’s Open in his crosshairs. He’s already organised a practice round with local hero Tom Buchanan whom he’ll likely meet again at the Dubai Trophy.

Related: Buchanan returns to scene of dream European Tour debut, wins third UAE PGA title on the trot

Kelbrick, unsurprising given how lousy he felt, wasn’t striking it great at Tower Links and found himself two behind with five to play in the final round. But a 118-yard wedge shot flushed to three feet on the 14th sparked a run of three birdies in the final five holes, capped by a driver-seven iron-sand save birdie on the par-5 18th.

“I had a real dodgy patch in the middle of the round but you know how golf goes, you stripe one and it all comes back,” he said.

Kelbrick’s putting is also coming back thanks to some concentrated instruction from Arabian Ranches putting specialist and Aim Point Express qualified pro Malcolm Young.

“At Sharjah, I just couldn’t get the ball in the hole but struck it well and received a number of compliments,” said the duel Trump Dubai-Royal Liverpool member who carded rounds of 75-76-74 to finish T-42 at Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club.

“With hard work and excellent dialogue, Malcolm has got me to a position where instead of being a complete weakness, my putting is at the point of becoming a strength. We are still building confidence.

“The swing feels good and whilst we are not quite there yet, [new Yas Links Director of Instruction] Mathew [Parker] and I are feeling good going into the events in summer time.”

Related: Parker happy to be back as DOI at Yas Links

The post On a high despite feeling lousy, Kelbrick somehow snares elusive EGF title at Tower Links appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
Clark Dennis has company atop the Sharjah Senior Golf Masters leaderboard in Thaworn Wiratchant while decorated Australian Peter Fowler went crazy low on Friday to cling onto their coattails heading into the final round of the Staysure Tour season-opener.

The trio are grouped together in the final threesome of what shapes as an absorbing Saturday shootout at Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club. They’re off at 12.55pm with South African James Kingston, at -7 after second round 68, looking the only other player capable of challenging the frontrunners at the $425,000 event.

Wiratchant made the decisive early move on moving day, a bogey-free 65 allowing the Thai to set the early clubhouse target at -11.

Reigning Staysure Tour order of merit champion and overnight leader Dennis joined him after  overcoming a bogey start to sign for a 68 while Fowler eagled the par-5 15th (with a chip-in) for the second successive day en-route to an eight-under 64, the new SGSC course record.

Fowler is on -9 and must be ruing his double-bogey finish in an opening 71. Still, the 58-year-old has the pedigree – five Staysure Tour titles – to ensure Dennis and Wiratchant will sweat on their lead.

“I was a long way behind after some good scores this morning, and Clark was pretty hot as well. I had to put something good together today, which I did, so I’m looking forward to tomorrow,” said Fowler.

Fowler on fire.

The Australian sank this birdie putt for an eight under par round of 64 and the new course record at @SharjahGolf #SharjahSGM. He’s just two strokes behind the leaders on nine under par. pic.twitter.com/tIBXi5FZhH

— Staysure Tour (@StaysureTour) March 9, 2018

Texan Dennis, 52, won twice last season but Wiratchant won more recently at the season ending MBC Tour Championship in Mauritius last December.

“My round today was great because I seemed to have control with all my shots,” said Wiranchat afterwards.

Clark Dennis.
Photo by Phil Inglis/Getty Images.

“I love it here in Sharjah because the weather is hot like Thailand and the course is in exceptional condition. It was easier today because there was less wind and the pin position was better. I came here with no expectations so to be joint-leader going into the final round, I’m very happy.”

Wiratchant equals the course record with this birdie on the last, signing for a seven under par 65 and an 11 under par total #SharjahSGM.

The Thai leads by four strokes. pic.twitter.com/QWdp1j817x

— Staysure Tour (@StaysureTour) March 9, 2018

Dennis rattled off three birdies in his next five holes after the bogey start and then traded a bogey on the 9th with three further birdies.

“I played some good golf again today but it was definitely more of a struggle than yesterday,” said the former PGA Tour player.

“I didn’t quite have the ‘A’ game but I still managed to hit some good shots on the back nine which gave me a couple of birdies so I’m really glad that I got to 11 under par heading into the final day. Tomorrow is a new day and everyone is going to be looking for those birdies.

“I don’t think that anyone will be trying to protect anything so it should be a low scoring day. Hopefully I can come out tomorrow and execute my game plan and make a few putts.”

Spaniard Martin Miguel Angel and Englishman Philip Golding, meanwhile, complete the top five on six under par after rounds of 70 of 68.

Amateur players Steven Kelbrick and Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club’s Amir Al Naimi carded rounds of 76 and 78 respectively as they once again battled with some of the biggest names of the past. Dubai-based Brit Kelbrick goes into the final round on seven over par with Iranii Al Naimi on eight over.

Incredible diversity on the Staysure Tour. Eight players from seven countries representing six continents inside the top seven on the #SharjahSGM leaderboard.

?????????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/KcYzvhLjCx

— Staysure Tour (@StaysureTour) March 9, 2018

The post Wiratchant joins Dennis atop Sharjah leaderboard as course record 64 fires Fowler into the mix appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
Steven Kelbrick most definitely subscribes to the theory that life begins at 50, in a golfing sense at least.

The Dubai-based Brit’s second coming in amateur golf continues at this month’s 2nd Sharjah Senior Golf Masters where he’ll trade putts, and hopefully trade secrets, with a field containing 14 former European Ryder Cuppers. Kelbrick qualified for the Staysure Tour (formerly European Senior Tour) event last month and cannot wait to return to Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club to see how his +2 handicap stacks up against legends of old.

His ultimate dream is a promised but not guaranteed round with U.S. legend Tom Watson on the Old Course at St. Andrews this summer. But before we get to that potential holy-grail moment at the home of golf, the oil and gas trader’s journey to Sharjah is worthy of a recap.

Kelbrick fashioned quite the record during his junior days, playing county golf for Cheshire, the prestigious Peter McEvoy and Carris trophies (under-18) before captaining England Universities in home internationals during a collegiate career that saw him help the University of Liverpool capture a pair each of team matchplay and strokeplay titles.

As often the case, career and family commitments put competitive golf on the backburner, at least until the now dual Trump International Golf Club, Dubai and Royal Liverpool member shifted to the UAE from Switzerland 4½ years ago. A little help from now Yas Links-based coach Matthew Parker and Arabian Ranches putting guru Malcolm Young helped reignite the competitive fires and when he turned 50 last June, the game really changed.

“It opened up a whole new world,” Kelbrick said of cracking the half-century. “It opens up all the national senior opens apart from the British Senior Amateur which you can’t play until you’re 55 for some reason. It’s competitive and I’ve had a couple of decent years so I just want to build on it.”

Kelbrick has already tested the 50+ waters, finishing a tidy 14th at the European Senior Masters in Austria last summer before he went on to upstage the whippersnappers to clinch the 2016-17 Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) Order of Merit title. He also came within a shot of qualifying for The Senior Open at Royal Porthcawl. Those results combined have given Kelbrick the confidence he can compete at the top echelons.

Which gets us back to this year’s Senior Open at St. Andrews and that Watson wish. Kelbrick, who coincidently sponsors European Tour players Haydn Porteous. Lucas Bjerregaard and Paul Waring though his third share in the SwingFit Performance Academy in South Africa, has been promised a practice round with his boyhood hero if he qualifies for the July 26-29 major.

“I first saw him play at Royal Troon in ’82 when he beat Nick Price [to hoist the Claret Jug for the fourth of five times] and from that day on…it’s just the way he’s lived his life, conducted himself,” said Kelbrick of eight-time major champion Watson.

“I’ve had the chance to meet him twice but I’ve never played with him. He’s a hero as man and as for his golf, his record speaks for itself.”

But first things first though. Let’s focus on those 54 precious holes at Sharjah.

“My goal for Sharjah? Well, there’s no cut, so just show, confirm to myself, that I can compete with some of these boys. If I get anything like mid-field, I’d be thrilled. If I can shoot three 72s – I shot 75 in qualifying with two doubles and 73 with a triple the day before – I think that will be a good performance.”

It would certainly set Kelbrick up nicely for his second shot at the Senior Open.

“If I do qualify, I said to Brendan [Taylor, Executive VP, Golf (EMEA) for sports marketing and talent management company Wasserman] to bring the tissues. It’ll be five hours of tears, I would be useless,” says Kelbrick.

Don’t be fooled. Kelbrick might be misty eyed, but good golf begins at 50, remember.

The post Meet the Dubai amateur chasing a St. Andrews play date with Tom Watson…via Sharjah appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

So much so, the 31-year-old Englishman has been lured back to the desert by a newly created and high-profile role at Yas Links. He’s the first ever Director of Instruction at the acclaimed Abu Dhabi club and loving it, perhaps keeping in theme with his February 14 – Valentine’s Day – start date.

“I am extremely excited to be back to the UAE,” said Parker who quickly climbed the ranks to head professional during four years at Al Badia Golf Club before being headhunted to help set up and run the European Tour Performance Institute at Jumeirah Golf Estates as Senior Teaching Professional.

“I’ve been back and forth a lot in the past two years for coaching trips and vacations and I’m really fortunate to be joining a club that has so much ambition and drive to want to be the best. The academy at Yas Links has huge potential which I hope to tap into to bring the best service standards, improvement and enjoyment to our students.

“I aim to bring my experiences from my past roles and my recent adventures [at Prevail Golf in the U.K.] to offer what I believe will place the academy as a leader in the country.“

Parker comes from good golfing stock. The family has produced six professionals, three-time Ladies European Tour winner and Solheim Cup representative Florentyna Parker the most high profile among them.

Mathew has overseen the revival of another cousins game in the past year, a couple of satellite tour wins earning Ben Parker promotion the European Challenge Tour and climb inside the top 500 in the OWGR. He’s previously coached Ross McGowan to MENA and Sunshine Tour wins and more recently guided Steve Kelbrick from a two handicap to a +2 handicap and the 2016-17 Emirates Golf Federation Order of Merit (OOM) title.

Related: Kelbrick qualifies for the Sharjah Senior Masters

Perhaps Parker’s best-known client in the past two years is Yas Links-attached Englishman Luke Joy who has rattled off six second place finishes on the MENA Tour and second and third placings on the developmental circuit’s OOM before his breakthrough win at the King Hamad Trophy at the Royal Club in Bahrain in November.

Related: Finally some Joy as Luke wins in Bahrain

As well as continuing with some of the region’s top players, Parker cannot wait to get to work with aspiring amateurs and promises plenty of banter along the way.

“Grass roots golf, both at youth and adult levels, will be a target as we become the place to perform at the highest level possible. Goals will be reached, fun will be had and there’ll be lots of smiles along the way,” said Parker.   

For lessons, email mparker@yaslinks.com.

The post Parker happy to be back as Director of Instruction at Yas Links appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.