(Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) – On November 28-30 2032, the Saudi Arabia Golf Federation hosted the 2023 Ladies and Junior Pan Arab Golf Championships at Riyadh Golf Club. United Arab Emirates (UAE) captured three team medals and four individual medals in their respective divisions.

UAE Ladies and Junior Teams at the 2023 Pan Arab Championships in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Winning the Gold Medal for UAE Sara Abubaker, Maya Gaudi, and Aasiya Saleem took in the Girls 15 and under division. Aasiya Saleem was the front-runner for the UAE Team with rounds of 75-67-72 to finish 2-under par and winning the Silver Medal in the Individual Category. Finishing in Third Place and collecting the Bronze Medal in the Individual Category was Maya Gaudin. Tunisia took the Silver Medal, and the Egypt team won the Bronze Medal in this competition.

UAE’s Girls 15 & Under Team

The UAE Ladies’ Team with Intissar Rich, Jamie Camero, and Alia Alemadi won the Silver Medal in the Ladies’ Team Division. Jamie Camero led the way for UAE shooting rounds 70-74-72 and taking home the Silver Medal in the Individual Category. Morocco won the Gold Medal and Lebanon won the Bronze Medal in the Ladies’ Team division.

Representing the Silver-winning Boys 18 & Under UAE Team were Mohammad Skaik, Rashid Aljassmy, and Sayed Ahmed. Morocco ran away with division winning the Gold Medal by more than 30 shots but the competition between UAE and the Bronze Medal team Egypt was a tight race with UAE winning by three shots.

Abdulla Darwish won the Silver Medal Boys 13 & Under individual category. Abdulla won the Silver after firing an impressive 69 (3-under-par) for his second round which gave him enough to win after a countback. Egypt won the Gold Medal and Jordan took Bronze Medal.

Competing in the UAE Boys 15 & Under Team division and placing fifth in the team category were Marwan Alemadi, Abdulla Salmeen, and Mohammed Thabet. Tunisia won the Gold, Egypt won the Silver, and Saudi Arabia won the Bronze in the team category.

Moving forward the teams and players will focus on playing the Emirates Golf Federation Order of Merit events. Some of these players will travel and compete in World Amateur Golf Ranking events to continue to develop their game.

(QUANG NAM – VIETNAM) – On November 21-23, 2023, the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) is hosting the Asia–Pacific Senior Amateur Championship at the Vinpear Resort & Golf Nam Hoi An, Quang Nam-Vietnam. Representing the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) Vice-Chairman General Abdullah Alhashmi, Mohammed Darwish, Saeed AlMalik, and Walid Alattar.

The UAE 2023 Asia–Pacific Senior Amateur Championship Team and Delegates: (Left to Right), Saeed AlMalik, Mohammed Darwish, General Abdullah Alhashmi, and Walid Allatar

The Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC)’s Senior Amateur Championship is scheduled to run at the Vinpearl Golf Nam Hoi An in the central province of Quang Nam hosted by the Vietnam Golf Association (VGA). Vinpearl Resort & Golf Nam Hoi An, a jewel in Vietnam’s golfing crown, will provide the perfect setting for this prestigious championship. The world-class golf course, meticulously designed to challenge and inspire, coupled with the luxurious amenities of Vinpearl Resort, promises an unforgettable experience for participants and spectators alike.

Participants will compete in both individual and team events, with the champion earning a slot at the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews (R&A)’s Senior Amateur Championship. The winning teams will be determined by the lowest aggregate of the three best gross scores. Representing the UAE team are General Abdullah Alhashmi, Mohammed Darwish, Saeed AlMalik, and Walid Allatar, who is representing the country in the individual competition.

The APGC Senior Amateur Championship is the Asia-Pacific’s team and individual championship for senior male golfers and is expected to attract over 100 golfers from countries and territories among 47 APGC members, including Vietnam, Japan, the Republic of Korea, China, New Zealand, Hong Kong (China), Taiwan (China), India, Thailand, and Malaysia. Eligible players are male amateurs who have reached their 55th birthday by November 1^st.

“It is important for us to represent our country and show the world that we have representation at all levels and ages, said Vice Chairman of the EGF, General Abdullah Alhashmi.

“We look forward to continuing to support and participate in many more events showing our commitment to the development of the sport within our country”, General Alhashmi added.

To follow the action of Team UAE, follow the Emirates Golf Federation on social media.

(United Arab Emirates) – Starting this weekend, November 11, 2023, the Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) will host the first Future Falcons event of this season at Emirates Golf Club. This year the Future Falcons National Junior Development Program spreads its wings to a new level with a new structure that will be all-inclusive. The EGF aims to push participation for all national and residents but more importantly, the EGF is implementing a program that will not only develop golfers but also focus on Long Term Athletic Development.

2022-23 Future Falcons Graduates

Coming off a strong season last year, the EGF looks to continue to attract more children to the sport of golf this coming year. In 2023 the EGF saw over 3,000 students in conjunction with the Emirates Schools Establishment, the Al Rabeh Academy in Abu Dhabi. The EGF also worked closely with the UAE golf clubs that covered all Emirates in order to maximize the exposure for the sport.

Juniors between 4 and 16 are encouraged to reach out to the EGF and ask how they can get involved and learn the sport. With an increased focus on the ‘athlete first approach’, sessions are now targeted at promoting fundamental motor skills such as agility, balance, and coordination. By incorporating these elements into the program, participants are likely to build a stronger athletic foundation, which can enhance their performance in golf and potentially other sports as well.

The introduction of the new 10-level Golf Skills Progression System ensures a structured curriculum where athletes can progressively improve their golf skills all whilst having heaps of fun along the way. To progress through these levels students will be required to achieve a certain score from their respective playing distances. This change promotes the playing of the game and ensures our young athletes are out on the fairways enjoying their sport and being active.

Abu Dhabi, UAE: World No. 4 Minsol Kim’s 4-under 68 and a 71 from Kyrorim Seo led the Republic of Korea to the gold medal in the 30th World Amateur Team Championship Saturday at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.

as seen during the final round of the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, United Arab Emirates on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023 (Copyright USGA/Steven Gibbons)

It is Korea’s fourth Espirito Santo Trophy victory in the last seven competitions and their fifth all-time.

“I’m very honored that we won this tournament,” said Seo. “I’m very grateful for my teammates doing well all four days. Our teamwork and effort helped us win today.”

Korea jumped out to a solo lead early in the round and never surrendered it. Kim, who was the runner-up in the 2023 Women’s Amateur Asia Pacific, made back-to-back birdies on the par-5 second and par-4 third holes and again on the eighth and ninth.

“I was focused on my play,” said Kim. “I didn’t putt as aggressively as the first three rounds. I was more relaxed and just tried to make par and some became birdies.”

Korea’s 72-hole score of 22-under-par 554 was four strokes better than silver-medal winning Chinese Taipei and five better than the bronze medal winners Spain.

Chinese Taipei, which began the day three back from the leaders, leaped into silver position after a birdie-birdie finish from Huai-Chien Hsu, a sophomore at the University of Texas.

After missing the green left on the par-4 17th, Hsu chipped in from 18 yards for a three and followed with a 9-footer for birdie on the last hole to post a team score of 558.

“I told my coach [on 17], ‘I think I can make a birdie here. It doesn’t have to be a putt,’ and I chipped it in,” said Hsu.

“I was just trying to birdie a few [holes] on the back [nine] and ended up birdieing four.”

This is Chinese Taipei’s first medal in its 16 Women’s World Amateur Team appearances.

Spain, the 54-hole co-leader, could not find its form of earlier in the week and posted a fourth-round 144, which included a 2-under 70 from Cayetana Fernandez Garcia-Poggio and a 74 from Carla Bernat Escuder.

The Spaniards managed to get within two shots of Korea with two holes to play but found heartbreak on the 72nd hole for the second year in a row. All three players bogeyed the par-5 18th hole to drop Spain from silver position to bronze at 559.

“It’s really disappointing,” said Spain Captain Mar Ruiz de la Torre.

“Last year we were in the same situation, and this year again. It’s really a pity because they played well. We just didn’t have too much luck with the putts.”

England had a share of the lead with Korea at one point Saturday afternoon after a batch of birdies from Florida State University teammates Lottie Woad and Charlotte Heath.

Woad birdied every par 4 on the front nine to post a 31 at the turn but would cool off on the back nine as England finished with a 4-under 140 to post 560 alongside Thailand, one shot shy of the bronze behind Spain.

Australia and the United States of American finished in a tie for sixth at 561. Megan Schofill led the USA with a bogey-free 5-under 67 and Anna Davis added a 69 as the Americans posted the low-round of the day.

Canada was eighth at 564 and New Zealand finished ninth at 565.

Korea receives custody of the Espirito Santo Trophy until the next World Amateur Team Championship, which will be held in 2025 at Tenah Merah Country Club’s Tampines Course in Singapore.

Members of the winning team receive gold medals; members of the second-place team receive silver medals; and members of the third-place team receive bronze medals.

Although there is no official recognition, Chinese Taipei’s Huai-Chien Hsu was the low individual scorer at 13-under 275.

Quotable:

Captain SeHoon Chang, Republic of Korea: “It means very much to us to win this championship. These players are only 17 and 14 [years old]. Winning this tournament will make their play more advanced for next time.”

Captain Liz McKinnon, New Zealand: “They should be really proud of themselves. Conditions were hot and challenging and a different style of golf for them, but they’ve risen to the occasion just by keeping it a shot at the time and staying in the present.”

Anna Davis, USA: “It was our best round. All of us were expecting to go lower yesterday. We saved the best for last so it’s nice we get to go home with a good taste in our mouth.”

Notable:

1. Korea now has nine medals in their 17 WWATC appearances – five gold, two silver and two bronze. Its previous four gold medals came in 1996, 2010, 2012 and 2016. This is Korea’s seventh consecutive top-10 finish in the Espirito Santo Trophy.
2. Spain’s bronze medal gives them six total medals and the first since their silver-medal performance in 2008.
3. Minsol Kim tied for 10th in her LPGA Tour debut at the BMW Ladies Championship last October. She was inside the top two after both 18 and 36 holes, and played in the final group in both the second and third rounds.
4. Spain’s Cayetana Fernandez Garcia-Poggio finished in second place in the individual scoring at 11-under after she tied for seventh in 2022. She is the only player to finish in the top 10 both years.
5. Thailand, competing in its 10th WWATC, earned its third top-10 finish and best showing since 2016.
6. New Zealand finished in ninth place for its first top-10 showing since 2012 and its fifth top-10 in its 29 appearances.
7. India (16th place) registered its best finish in a WWATC after placing T17 in 2014.

What’s Next:

The 2025 Women’s World Amateur Team Championship for the Espirito Santo Trophy will be held at Tenah Merah Country Club in Singapore.