Congratulations go to Cole Madey, who took home the King Hamad Trophy with an impressive score of -12 for the 54-hole event.

Also, a mention to Ahmed Al-Zayed, who was crowned the best Bahraini player of the tournament. Both Cole and Ahmed have qualified for the DP World Tour’s Bahrain Championship in February as the event returns to The Kingdom of Bahrain after a 15 year absence.

The closing ceremony was witnessed by His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, First Deputy President of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, President of the General Sports Authority, and President of the Olympic Committee.

Final Results:
1st Place – Cole Madey, Gross (-12)
2nd Place – Tom Plumb – Gross (-9)
3rd Place – Gary King – Gross (-8)

Image: The Royal Golf Club, Bahrain

The post Cole Madey captures The 15th King Hamad Trophy at Royal Golf Club, Bahrain appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Howells, formerly of the Butch Harmon School of Golf at the Els Club in Dubai, commended Thomas for his golf, noting 17 under through 54 holes at The Royal Golf Club was impressive given the Bahrain course’s sometimes “quirky” nature. He followed up with a question for which he already knew the answer: “So I’m guessing the putting is working?”

Thomas’ retort? “Putting was solid son, still needs work though”.

Related: Dubai prodigy Rayhan Thomas wins second pro title in Bahrain

Having just turned 19, Thomas has every right to over hype his five storke victory at the 11th King Hamad Trophy, a sensational follow up to his Dubai Creek triumph on the MENA Tour two seasons ago. A professional career, after a stint at one of collegiate golf’s ultimate finishing schools, Rickie Fowler’s old Oklahoma State University, beckons but Thomas is able to put the win into longer term context, as excited as he inevitably was in the moment.

“I’m not sure people know how hard he works but it really is something special about the kid,” Howells told GolfDigestme.com afterwards.

“He’s always looking to improve and it [the WhatsApp exchange] just gives you a nice insight into his mind. Credit to his Mum and Dad [Neena and John] and to [his swing coach] Justin [Parsons].

“He’s going places that guy. His attitude is brilliant.”

The past 12 months have been topsy-turvy results wise for Thomas but he’d dedication to improving has never waned. But for a slow start to October’s 10th Asia Pacific Amateur Championship, a four-over 74, he could have won invites to next year’s Masters and Open at Royal Portrush but was still quietly chuffed with his second placing in Singapore. His game was coming back, as it was there for all to see in Bahrain in what he described as a “very clinical” display.   

“The last win was at the Creek in the MENA Tour so it’s been a while since the last big win. I’m just proud of myself that I was able to keep a very clean and crisp job over the last three days,” Thomas said.

“I had two bogeys all week and both in the first round, I was bogey free the last two rounds so just very clean, very tight, I didn’t really make many mistakes which is essential.

“The only way anybody was going to beat me is if they caught up to me. I just felt if I kept doing what I was doing, keep it clean, it was going to be very hard for anybody else. So very happy with the way I played and it’s good to see my game is progressing nicely.”

Thomas’ victory is further validation for the Middle East’s very own finishing school, the MENA Tour which will resume in the New Year after a 15-month restructuring hiatus. Yas Links-atached Luke Joy, a regular contender on the regional development circuit, won the King Hamad Trophy last year and finished his defence T-19 on -2, 14 shots adrift on Thomas, while the MENA Tour’s first life member, 10-time winner Zane Scotland, earned a share of 15th place alongside former European Tour player Jamie Elson on -3.

Thomas was toying with teeing it up in the Indian Amateur Championship but is now unlikely to do so as he knuckles down to his studies in the final year of correspondence school. He will play as many of the new MENA Tour events as possible before heading to college in the United States next summer.

“Hopefully I can keep this form up and take it into the next events, probably next year. I’m not too sure what I’m in playing next, probably won’t be playing anything for a while.

“So a lot of prep work, keep this form going and hopefully keep winning.”

There are no guarantees in golf but as Howells points out, it certainly won’t be for the lack of effort.

The post Text exchange after Thomas’ King Hamad Trophy triumph gives insight into the teen’s steely focus on the future appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Representing Team Nury, Tipu and Khan (pictured above) combined for a betterball net score of 63 at Royal Golf Club to win by three from Badea Esbai and Ebrahim Esbai (Team Badea). Gordon Bennie and Todd Gillespie (Team FWS Global) rounded out the podium with a 67 on countback.

In the City Tower Cup, a new division which rewards the best gross score of the day, Mohamed Al Sayed and Fahad Al Hakam (Team MOI) qualified for December’s final on Earth at Jumeirah Golf Estates with a 69.

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Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club is set to host the XCGC’s third qualifying round on May 4.

The post Rehman Tipu and Naeem Khan win Bahrain to qualify for XCGC final 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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Bahrain’s Royal Golf Club closed by heavy flooding

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.”

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The post UPDATED: News and results from around the Middle East club scene to February 12, 2017 appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The Irishman, an eight-time winner on the European Tour and a five-time winner on the Senior Tour, has been confirmed as one of the headline acts for the March 16-18 event at Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club.

“This is a huge step forward for Sharjah and it would be a wonderful scenario if it were to lead to two or three consecutive Senior Tour events in the Middle East,” Smyth said.

“I think it could revitalise the European Senior Tour. I can’t wait to tee off in Sharjah and get the ball rolling.”

Smyth has been a frequent visitor to the Middle East throughout his stellar career and won the Arcapita Senior Tour Championship at The Royal Golf Club in Bahrain in 2005. 

He was one of four European Senior Tour players who played in the Sharjah Senior Invitational Pro-Am presented by Shurooq last March, along with Paul Broadhurst, Ronan Rafferty and Malcolm Mackenzie.

“This is the first time the European Senior Tour has played an event on a 9-hole course but I found it an excellent layout and with the extra teeing ground it will be an interesting tournament with such a variety of tee boxes.”

Smyth held the record as the oldest winner on the European Tour at the age of 48 years and 34 days when he won the Madeira Island Open during his 28^th consecutive season on the European Tour in 2001, until Miguel Angel Jimenez took the title from him.

He played in the 1979 and 1981 Ryder Cups and was a Vice-Captain to Paul McGinley in the 2014 victory at Gleneagles.

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