One Month to Go! 

Abu Dhabi, UAE: The 2023 World Amateur Team Championships presented by Rolex are poised to take center stage in the Middle East for the first time in the region’s history with today marking one month to go until the eagerly-anticipated event kicks off at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.

Hosted by Abu Dhabi Sports Council along with Destination Partner, the Department of Culture and Tourism, the men’s Eisenhower Trophy is scheduled for October 18-21 while the women’s Espirito Santo Trophy takes place for the following week from October 25-28.

Both tournaments are set to feature 36 countries with each nation having two or three playing representatives.

The best two scores from each day’s play constitutes towards the team’s score for each round with the 72-hole total combing to give the nation’s score for the full championship.

“We are delighted to host the World Amateur Team Championships which is another significant addition in Abu Dhabi’s ever-growing international calendar of sports,” said Aref Al Awani, General Secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council.

“The Eisenhower Trophy for men from October 18-21 and the women’s Espirito Santo Trophy in the following week have drawn 36 nations in both categories. It also provides our home golfing talents the opportunity to play side-by-side with the elite amateur golfers.

“We warmly welcome the participating teams and wish every participating team the very best.”

General Abdullah Alhashmi, Vice Chairman of the Emirates Golf Federation, added: “The Championship Committee along with the Local Organizing Committee have been working hard over the past 12 months to get to this final stage of preparation.

“Under the patronage of his Excellency Shaikh Fahim Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Abu Dhabi and the Emirates Golf Federation, we look forward to hosting the world’s best amateur golfers and top federations at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.

“I would like to thank our partners at the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the Department of Culture and Tourism for their support and for making this Championship possible.

“Finally, I would like to thank golf’s governing bodies, the International Golf Federation, The R&A and the USGA for their trust in the United Arab Emirates for hosting this prestigious championship, it is our mission to continuing to develop the sport of golf in the Middle East.”

These esteemed amateur contests have often been a showcase of golf’s promising young talent with past Major champions Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods previously featuring on winning teams before turning professional.

Both tournaments were last held in 2022 in France where Italy emerged victorious at the Eisenhower Trophy on 31 under par while Sweden claimed the Espirito Santo Trophy on a score of 13 under.

The events also featured high-profile names such as Sweden’s Ludvig Åberg and USA’s Rose Zhang – both of whom are recent winners in the professional game, the former having been named in Luke Donald’s European team for the upcoming Ryder Cup in Rome.

Qualified Teams

Eisenhower Trophy – Argentina, Australia, Austria Canada, People’s Republic of China, Colombia, Czechia, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Guam, Guatemala, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Scotland, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Wales, Zimbabwe

Espirito Santo Trophy – Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, People’s Republic of China, Colombia, Czechia, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, China, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Scotland, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United States of America

By: Cristina Petrovici

(Casablanca, Morocco) – On July 27th – 29th, 2023 the Arab Golf Federation is hosting the 42^nd Pan Arab Men’s Golf Championship in Casablanca, Morocco. Representing the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) are Khalid Yousuf, Ahmad Skaik, Rashed Al Emadi, and Mohammed Skaik.

The UAE 2023 Pan Arab Men’s Golf Championship – Team and Delegates

Casa Green Golf Club in Casablanca will host the 42^nd edition of the Men’s Pan Arab Golf Championships from Thursday, July 27th to Saturday, July 29^th, 2023, organized by the Royal Moroccan Golf Federation, under the leadership of the Arab Golf Federation. 13 different nations will be represented by a team of four players, competing in both team and individual divisions. The Championship is run over three rounds with the three lowest scores counting towards the team score. The winning nation and player with the lowest gross scores will be declared the Arab Champion.

Traveling with Team UAE will Emirates Golf Federation Vice Chairman Abdulla Alhashmi, General Secretary Khalid Mubarak Al Shamsi, and General Director Akram Skaik. Playing for Team UAE will be Captain Khalid Yousuf, UAE’s number one amateur Ahmad Skaik, and two young talents Rashid Al Emadi and Mohammed Skaik.

Team captain Khalid Yousuf mentioned: “My team and I are looking forward to this event. It’s a great event and we look at it as one of the signature events in the calendar because we are all very proud to represent the UAE. I am very confident that our team will be finishing on the podium as Ahmad and Rashid are in good shape with their game coming off having the experience playing some Challenge Tour events.”

After playing five European Challenge Tour events in the past 3 months, Ahmad Skaik will be looking forward to teeing it up against his fellow amateur golfers. Ahmad Skaik had this to say before the championship, “it feels very good to be back playing in the Men’s Arab Championship after three months of Challenge Tour events. I learned a lot from my travels and especially from playing on European courses. The experience much tighter course should give me a lot of confidence for this week in Casablanca. I’m starting to feel that my game is on the right track, and it is a matter of time before everything is clicking. It’s always a privilege to compete for the UAE National Team and I think that we have the right squad this week to do well.”

Both Rashid Al Emdia and Mohammad Skaik are representing the UAE in back-to-back Pan Arab Men’s Golf Championships.

“I hope that the experience I gained this year by training more and playing in the Abu Dhabi Challenge Tour will help me score well for the team and return home with a medal,” Rashid Al Emadi said.

Casa Green Golf Club is a 7,100 yards championship course, designed by architect Jeremy Pern with a topography that can make the course challenging for any player. Even though it is not on the ocean coast, the course is still a combination of links but offers wide fairways full of mounds, lakes, and trees.

To follow the action and Team UAE stay up to date with the Emirates Golf Federation on our social media channels.

(Abu Dhabi, UAE) – Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, Abu Dhabi, has retained its designation as a ‘Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary through the Audobon Cooperative Sanctuary Programme of Golf Courses. It is one of 900 golf courses in the world to hold such a certification from Audobon International and the only one in the UAE.

The program, endorsed by the United States Golf Association, provides information and guidance to help golf courses preserve and enhance wildlife habitat, and protect natural resources. Golf courses from the United States, Africa, Australia, Canada, Central America, Europe, and Asia support the program.

‘Saadiyat Beach has shown a strong commitment to its environment program. They are to be commended for preserving the natural heritage of Saadiyat Island by protecting the local watershed and providing a sanctuary for wildlife on the golf course property,’ said Christine Kane, CEO of Audubon International.

‘To reach certification, a course must demonstrate that they are maintaining a high degree of environmental quality in a number of areas,’ continued Kane.

These categories include: Environmental Planning, Wildlife and Habitat Management, Outreach, and Education, Chemical Use Reduction and Safety, Water Conservation, and Water Quality Management. Courses go through a recertification process every three years.

Corey Finn, Golf Course Superintendent, VIYA Golf, said, ‘We are delighted to have achieved this recertication of Saadiyat Beach Golf Club and this prestigious industry recognition. We have enjoyed working with Audobon and our stakeholders over the last few years and will continue to work on this project to preserve and enhance the natural habitat of Saadiyat Beach with their consultation. Thanks to all the team in Abu Dhabi for supporting this important initiative.’

• UAE’s best amateur golfer Ahmad Skaik and only professional golfer Ahmed Al Musharrekh set off to compete in Challenge Tour events across Europe in prep for Arab and World Amateur Championships.

• Grenville-Wood receives additional support from the EGF after Second Place finish in Abu Dhabi.

(Dubai, UAE) – In conjunction with the Emirates Golf Federation’s (EGF) agreement with the European Tour Group, the EGF will be taking full advantage of the player exchange process following the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Challenge Tour events. Starting this week, Ahmad Skaik and Ahmed Al Musharrekh will embark on a seven weeklong competitive swing beginning in Spain traveling through Europe in preparation for the Arab Championships and the World Amateur Team Championship.

For hosting the Abu Dhabi Challenge and the UAE Challenge last month the EGF received 30 spots in each event. Behind the scenes the EGF has been networking and creating relationships to trade some of these spots with other Federations and Challenge Tour events, giving UAE golfers the chance to compete on the tour. The EGF has strategically secured these invites to prepare for the upcoming Arab Championships and the 2023 World Amateur Team Championship (hosted in Abu Dhabi, UAE) while giving opportunities for inspiring professionals.

Ahmad Skaik, UAE’s best amateur golfer and number 280^th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, will be competing in four Challenge Tour events over the next seven weeks. The UAE national has a good history playing on the professional stage having several appearances on both the DP World Tour and Challenge Tour circuit. In 2021, Skaik fired his lowest round at the 2021 AVIV Dubai Championship with an impressive 4-under-par, 68 on the Fire Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

Skaik had this to say before his first event this weekend at the Andalucia Challenge de Cadiz in Cadiz, Spain. “I’m very excited to get out there and play. I’ve played in many other big events so nerves and pressure aren’t a factor. I have the experience. I’m just looking forward to focusing on my game and learning from life on the road. I know that the course setup will be different in Europe, so the plan is to take it day by day and use my course management skills to score well. Playing in these tournaments will help my game in preparation for a busy summer and autumn. I’m very grateful for the opportunity that the EGF has given me and my fellow UAE golfers.”

In addition to the Andalucia Challenge de Cadiz, Skaik will be playing in the Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge in Le Vaudreuil, France on June 28^th-July 2^nd, the Italian Challenge Open in Viterbo, Italy on July 5^th-9^th, and finally the Euram Bank Open in Ramsau am Dachstein, Austria on the 13^th-16^th of July.

Ahmed Al Musharrekh, the UAE’s only professional golfer, is set to compete in the two Challenge Tour events in Europe. The 33-year-old will be playing in the Andalucia Challenge de Cadiz and the Irish Challenge in Kells County Meath, Ireland on the 27^th-30th of July. Al Musharrekh is coming off playing in both Abu Dhabi Challenge Tour events. The EGF is excited to see Al Musharrekh take advantage of these opportunities while he’s trying to find his stride on the professional stage.

“I am really looking forward to playing tournaments in Europe, it’s a very good opportunity for me to figure out where my game is, and representing my country makes me very proud,” said Al Musharrekh.

In addition to the Challenge Tour events the Arab Golf Federation will be hosting the 42nd Pan Arab Men Championship on the 24th – 29^th of July and the 1st Arab Professional Men Championship on the 1^st – 4^th of August. Both events will be hosted in Casablanca, Morocco.

Skaik will finish his summer swing at the Challenge de Espana from 7^th – 10^th September. He will then travel to China for the Asian Games followed by the World Amateur Team Championships (WATC) in Abu Dhabi on the 18^th-21^st of October. The WATC will be held in the Middle East for the first time. Hosted by the EGF and organized by the International Golf Federation the first WATC was held in 1958. The WATC is two events in one, the 33rd Men’s Championship for the Eisenhower Trophy will be held from 18–21 October and the 30th Women’s Championship for the Espirito Santo Trophy will be held from 25-28 October 2023. The competition brings together the top amateur golfers and nations in the world.

In addition to securing spots for UAE Nationals, the EGF has also confirmed invites for English professional golfer Joshua Grenville-Wood. Joshua, 25 years old, has been a UAE resident for the last 4 years and using UAE’s top training facilities to help him improve his game. Joshua will be competing in the Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge, Euram Bank Open, and Irish Challenge. Joshua finished in a tie for second place in Abu Dhabi Challenge, a spot the EGF gave the young pro for hosting the Challenge Tour event in Abu Dhabi.

“It is essential for the Emirates Golf Federation to take advantage of the partnership with the European Tour Group and the Challenge Tour events. By giving our amateur and professional golfers the opportunity to gain experience at these events we will continue to develop the national team program. This summer will be a good test for these young men and for the entire National Golf Program. We have goals of UAE representation on the global stage and in professional events, I want to see the UAE accomplish these goals. Dedication, hard work, and preparation along with the continued support of our partners and the UAE leadership we will accomplish our goals,” said General Abdullah Alhashmi, EGF Vice-Chairman.

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