(New Taipei City, Taiwan) – On May 30^th – June 2^nd, 2023, United Arab Emirates (UAE) National Team member Rashid Al Emadi will participate in the 30th Taiwan Amateur Golf Championship, organized by the Chinese Taipei Golf Association at the Pei Tou Kuo Hua Golf & Country Club.

The 30th Taiwan Amateur Golf Championship will witness the participation of 120 male and female golfers competing for the highly respected amateur championship. The championship will have two formats of play, one individual play, and one team play. The individual format: which Al Emadi will be competing in; will be played over 72-holes, stroke play. A CUT will take place after 36 holes for the leading 30 players (30 Male, 30 Female) including ties. The team format will be played over 36 holes.

Activities of the championship will start on the 29th with player registration, the opening ceremony, and the first two practice round. The opening ceremony was attended by officials and delegations of the Chinese Taipei Golf Association.

Al Emadi had this to say leading into tomorrow’s first round, “thank you to the Emirates Golf Federation Board of Directors, led by His Excellency Sheikh Fahim bin Sultan Al Qasimi, who are always keen to provide opportunities to support the UAE and Arab golfers. I am honored to be here in Taiwan this week. As always, I will try my best and use my training to compete this week”.

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The 28th Dubai Duty-Free UAE Nationals Cup took place at the Montgomerie Golf Club on Saturday, 6th May, and saw a total of 42 Emirati national golfers compete for the coveted trophy.

The championship course was presented in great condition for the round, with the smooth and quick greens allowing for some fantastic golf on display from a talented field of players, resulting in nice scoring in tough conditions.

The coveted title ultimately went to Ahmed Al Marar after he carded an excellent score of 34 points. Meanwhile, Amir Al Barki, who scored 33 points, and Rashed Al Jassmy, with 30 points, took first and second place, respectively.

Commenting on the UAE Nationals Cup, Salah Tahlak, Joint COO of Dubai Duty Free said: “Congratulations to all the winners, with a special mention going to the DDF UAE Nationals Cup 2023 Overall Winner, Ahmed Al Marar. Once again, thank you to all the players for making it a great occasion and a true celebration of local golf in the UAE. Thanks also to everyone at the Montgomerie Golf Club for helping us host this event.”

In the Ladies’ Division, Alia Al Emadi took home the victory with 33 points. The Junior Division had 16 participants and was won by Rashid Al Hefeiti with a fantastic score of 31 points.

Winning the Men’s Nearest Pin was Saeed Malik, with Khaled Salmeen winning the Men’s Longest Drive. Winning both the Ladies’ Longest Drive and Nearest the Pin were Hamda Al Suwaidi and Alia Al Emadi, respectively.

Yousef Al Khalid, Senior Manager for External Affairs and Employee Services, attended the prize presentation on behalf of Dubai Duty. He was joined by Jasmin Micoyco, Manager for Projects and Events of Dubai Duty-Free, and Emirates Golf Federation Director General, Akram Skaik.

Resident Hannah Alan Shoots 70 for Best Gross

(Ras al Khaimah, UAE) – On Saturday, March 18^th, 2023, the Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) hosted the March EGF Monthly Medal at Al Hamra Golf Club supported by eGolf Megastore.

With a total of 36 points, playing perfectly his game, Mohamed Darwish wins the overall Stableford Category, followed by Yaser Al Marzooqi with 34 points. Dividing the categories, Rashed Al Emadi wins with 30 points the Division A, and Division B was led by Shawqi Sajwani with 34 points.

Al Hamra Golf Club became an official DP World Tour venue when the Tour visited the beautiful Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates for the first time in 2022, hosting the inaugural Ras Al Khaimah Championship. This eighteen-hole golf course, designed by Peter Harradine, opened its doors in the year 2007 and meanders around four inter-connected open water lagoons merging seamlessly with the water of the Arabian Gulf. Originally planned to be built on the salt flats bordering the water edge, some five million cubic meters of sand combined with expert shaping have come together to create gentle elevation changes as the terrain moves around the lagoons rising and falling from plus one to plus eight meters. Al Hamra Golf Club’s Par 72 Championship course lends itself perfectly to all levels of golfers, providing the fledgling novice or the most accomplished of players with an enjoyable and interesting golfing challenge.

The elite division competed only in the gross category, and at distances that were considerably adjusted as the EGF wants to encourage the elite player to play in conditions similar to those of the international competitions.  7 ladies competed for the best in the Elite category and Hannah Alan won the Elite Division Ladies shooting 70, followed by Jamie Camero with a total gross score of 74.

In Elite Division – Men, from the 4 players, three shot scores of  83, but after a count back Mohammed Skaik came out as the winner.

With a total of 41 points dr. Rabab Al Naj wins the Ladies Stableford Category and junior Rashed Al Halfeiti won his division with 35 points.

In the Senior Division, for those who are 50 years of age or older, Amir Barki collected 36 points to win the division.

The event also had two “On Course Challenges” up for grabs. Taking home the Longest Drive Award for Men was Rashid Al Hafeiti. Winning the Nearest to the Pin Award in the men’s category was Sultan Al Qwais.

The ladies had a separate competition for the “On course challenges” and the winner of the Longest Drive is Hannah Alan. Sara Ali won Nearest to the Pin.

To follow the EGF and check up on the latest UAE golf news revert to the EGF website at www.egfgolf.com.

18-Hole Playoff Confirms 2023 UAE Presidents Cup Champ

(Abu Dhabi, UAE) – On February 18-19, 2023, the Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) hosted over 100 United Arab Emirates (UAE) national golfers, at the 2023 UAE Presidents Cup sponsored by HSBC at Abu Dhabi Golf Club. The 11th edition of the UAE Presidents Cup did not disappoint. After an 18-hole playoff Ahmad Skaik won the 2023 UAE Presidents Cup sealing his fate on back-to-back victories, his third win in four years. Alai Al Emadi defended her title in the Ladies’ Division, and Rashed al Naqbi won the Junior Division.

To celebrate this year’s Presidents Cup, the award ceremony was graced by His Highness Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan and His Excellency Shaikh Fahim Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, and Head of Network Distribution at HSBC UAE, Najeeb Busheri.

The 2023 UAE Presidents Cup will be one to remember. Hosted at Abu Dhabi Golf Club the Emirates Golf Federation organized an entire weekend of competition spanning from the beginning level to the elite amateur level. This included the Main Event which had a junior division, ladies’ division, senior division, and an elite division. In addition, the Federation held the Future Falcons 9-Hole Championship on the Garden Course, as well as the Future Falcons skills challenge. The Future Falcons Skills Challenge allowed beginning-level children and families to participate in a fun competition during the UAE Presidents Cup. This skills competition will consist of chipping, putting, and driving competitions.

Following a scoring error Sunday night Ahmad Skaik and Hassan Al Musharrekh were called back to the course on Wednesday, February 22^nd to have an 18-hole playoff. With rounds of  77-72 for the Championship and a 70 (2-under-par) for the playoff, Ahmad Skaik won the 2023 UAE Presidents Cup. Ahmad had this to say after the championship, “golf is a crazy sport, and you must be able to adapt to certain things to overcome the hurdles that the sport throws at you. This weekend was a great example of that. It is great to be back on the course full-time. I wanted to use this Championship to show everyone that I’m healthy again and ready for the rest of the year, I think I did that. I want to thank Hassan, he’s a great competitor and a brother of mine on the National Team, we have a lot to accomplish together this year. It’s always an honor to win the UAE Presidents Cup and I am grateful for all the support that I have received from the EGF and entire the UAE. I’d like to thank my family, coaches, and of course my teammates for pushing me and making me a better person on and off the course.”

Winning the Runner Up prize was Hassan Al Musharrekh with rounds of 73 76 and a playoff round of 76. Rounding out the Top-3 and coming in Third Place after a countback, was Saif Thabit with a total gross score of 155.

For the first time, the UAE Presidents Cup created an Elite Invitational Category offering UAE resident golfers the opportunity to compete in the championship. Winning the Best Invitational Men’s Division was Jonathan Selvaraj shooting one-over par for the weekends and in the Best Invitational Ladies Division Jamie Camero also shot one-over par.

The Overall Net winner for the event was Mohammed Darwish, who finished with a Net Total of 130 for the two days.

The Senior Division saw more than 10 different competitors that were over the age of 50 years old competing for a prize. The winner of the Senior Division with a total gross score of 156 was Saeed al Malik.

Defending her title and winning the Ladies’ Division for the third year straight was Alia Al Emadi. Alia shot a total of 165 in two days. The Ladies Overall Net winner was Hamda al Suwaidi with a total gross score of 167.

In the always-growing Junior Division, Rashed al Naqbi walked away with the 2023 Junior Division title. Rashed shot a championship total of 156 to claim his first UAE Presidents Cup Junior victory.

Winning the Runner-Up prize in the junior division was Sultan al Jassmy with a championship total of 165. Taking home, the junior net prize was Mohammed Thabet.

Claiming victory in the Future Falcons Championship, Ali Almaazmi won the Boy’s Division and Latifa Al Jassmy won the Girl’s Division.

General Abdullah Alhashmi, Vice-Chairman of the EGF had this to say following the championship. “Congratulations to all of the winners. On behalf of the Emirates Golf Federation, we would like to thank HSBC for its continued support of this amazing championship. This weekend is a true celebration of UAE golf. Thank you to Abu Dhabi Golf Club and to The Westin, Abu Dhabi for hosting our players and families. Lastly, thank you to Abu Dhabi Sports Council and eGolf Megastore for enhancing our championship. UAE golf is moving forward, we have a lot of work to do, but together with our partners and stakeholders we will achieve our goals.”

                              

(Abu Dhabi, UAE) – In October 2023 the Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) and Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC) will be hosting the World Amateur Team Championship (WATC) at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.

Following the recent announcement and approval from the International Golf Federation (IGF), the 2023 WATC venue has officially been changed to Abu Dhabi Golf Club, National Course. In conjunction with this announcement, the EGF and Abu Dhabi Sports Council have agreed to partner in successfully hosting the 2023 WATC in the United Arab Emirates.

The World Amateur Team Championships are a biennial international amateur golf competition conducted by the International Golf Federation. The championships will be held in the Middle East for the first time since their inauguration in 1958. 2023 will mark the 33rd men’s championship for the Eisenhower Trophy which will be held from 18^th–21^st October and the 30th women’s championship for the Espirito Santo Trophy which will be held from 25^th-28^th October 2023. The competition brings together the best amateur golfers who have aspirations of collegiate golf or turning professional. Some of the biggest names in golf who participated in the WATC are Annika Sorenstam (SWE) ’90, ’92, Jack Nicklaus (USA) ’60, Colin Montgomerie (GBI) ’84, Sergio Garcia (ESP) ’96, ‘98, Rory McIlroy (IRE) ’06 and Tiger Woods (USA) ’94.

Last month the EGF and ADSC were delighted to receive a visit from IGF Executive Director Antony Scanlan. Mr. Scanlon was appointed IGF Executive Director in 2010 and is responsible for the promotion of golf as an Olympic Sport, the international development of golf, and the representation of golf within the Olympic Movement. His visit to Abu Dhabi marked the beginning of the organization of the WATC in Abu Dhabi.

Mr. Scanlon had this to say following his visit to Abu Dhabi “The IGF is very excited to be holding our first World Amateur Team Championships in the Middle East. The Abu Dhabi Golf Club will provide the best male and female amateur players in the world with the opportunity to compete on an exceptional course at a world-class facility. We thank the Abu Dhabi Sports Council for their support and look forward to working with the Emirates Golf Federation on the successful delivery of the Championships.”

The IGF comprises 152 national federation members from 149 countries.

After hosting 16 editions of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, Abu Dhabi Golf Club will be the host of many big events next year, starting with Hero Cup, a recently announced Challenge Tour event, and the World Amateur Team Championships. Abu Dhabi Golf Club was designed by Peter Harradine in 1998. The impressive clubhouse, built in the shape of a falcon with its wings outstretched, overlooks the golf course.

Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC) was established in 2006 by President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. ADSC is aligned with the emirate’s leadership vision to develop sports and youth activities. The Council promotes an effective, emirate-wide sports calendar that stimulates the desire to participate in quality sports among all Abu Dhabi residents and helps the talented and motivated reach their sporting potential. The sports council supports the organization and hosting of many international sporting events in Abu Dhabi.

“We strongly believe that making the practice of sport a daily lifestyle, representing its positive impact on public health. Precisely for this reason, the Sports Council is supporting the Emirates Golf Federation and its vision of golf development, and creating a competitive pathway for the sport within the UAE. We look forward to hosting the best amateurs in the sport of golf while celebrating Abu Dhabi as a golf destination. said His Excellency Aref Al Awani, General Secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council.

After winning the bid for the 2023 WATC back in October 2022 the EGF’s Championship Committee made the pivot of changing from the then-host city Dubai to Abu Dhabi in order to provide a better player experience.

“The Emirates Golf Federation, IGF, Abu Dhabi Sports Council, and Abu Dhabi Golf Club have been working hard behind the scenes to make the new venue work for everyone involved, more importantly, the teams and players. For the EGF to host the WATC in the Middle East for the first time it is important that we put our best foot forward. With the support and backing of the Sports Council, this will only elevate the player experience. Likewise, Abu Dhabi Golf Club has the resume of hosting the best championships in this part of the world. We are excited to continue to work with the IGF team and our Championship Committee to deliver a championship at the highest level leaving a legacy for UAE golf. On behalf of the EGF Chairman His Excellency Shaikh Fahim Bin Sultan Al Qasimi and the rest of the EGF Board of Directors we would like to thank Abu Dhabi Sports Council for its continued support,” said Vice Chairman of the EGF General Abdullah Alhashmi.