UAE EYE BATTLE WITHIN THE BATTLE AT 27th NOMURA CUP

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Host nation aims for a creditable mid-table finish at Yas Links Abu Dhabi on the eve of the biennial Asia-Pacific Golf Team Championship.

 

ABU DHABI, UAE (October 21, 2015) – An intensive international build-up focused on improved biomechanics, fitness and mental game preparation has the United Arab Emirates in a bullish mood on the eve of the 27th Nomura Cup at Yas Links Abu Dhabi.

UAE team prepare for 27th Nomura Cup

UAE team prepare for 27th Nomura Cup

UAE coach Greg Holmes has set Khalid Yousuf, Rashid Hamood, Abdulla Al Qubaisi and promising teen Ahmed Skaik the goal of winning the Arab nation “battle within the battle” at the Asia-Pacific Golf Team Championship being hosted by the Emirates Golf Federation for the first time from Thursday to Sunday.

It’s a lofty objective given the UAE’s recent international form including a disappointing fifth placing, admittedly with an understrength senior team, at GCC Championship in Kuwait last May. But with his top players back from military duty and a buildup that has seen the team play and train in Germany and at the European Tour Performance Institute in Terre Blanch, France, Holmes is looking for a much improved showing.

“We’d definitely like to be at the top end of the Middle East table with the likes of Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan [plus Iran and Lebanon],” said Holmes. “And if we could finish in the top half overall that would be really nice,” Holmes said.

“We’re obviously playing some very serious countries here…teams like Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, Chinese Taipei, they pick from much bigger pools of talent and we haven’t had the U15 and U18 players pushing through to the senior level. We’re working on that now and have had some good results at the junior level and with our women’s programme.”
For now, the UAE team has to focus on extracting every last ounce of ability out of the players they do have and to that end Holmes is pleased with the buildup the Emirates Golf Federation has offered his team.

“We’ve done a lot of work on our biomechanics and I have to say the guys are pretty fit as well. We’ve also done a lot on the mental game, our pre-shot routines, a lot of process work,” Holmes said,

“It’s about focusing on the shot at hand, the process and not worrying about the result. Now it’s time to take that out onto Yas Links. The last two days of practice has been great. They’re all hitting it pretty well, they’re all good ball strikers, but now it’s obviously about getting that going in the tournament.”

The 27th edition of the biennial Nomura Cup, featuring 27 four man teams, tees off tomorrow morning.

The lowest three of four scores count towards the team total on each day of the 72-hole stroke-play tournament which is second only to the Eisenhower Trophy world amateur teams’ championship in terms of size and global stature.

Australia, which has won a record 10 Nomura Cups including seven of the last eight titles, is expecting stiff competition from New Zealand, eight-time winner Japan, 2009 champion South Korea, China and Chinese Taipei at Yas Links. China’s challenge is spareheaded by Cheng Jin, the 17-year-old who won the weather-reduced Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in Hong Kong earlier this month to earn himself a dream start in the first major of 2016, the U.S. Masters at Augusta National.

ASIA-PACIFIC GOLF CHIEF RATES NOMURA CUP VENUE THE “BEST LINKS COURSE IN THE WORLD”

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High praise for Yas Links Abu Dhabi ahead of the 27th Asia-Pacific Golf Team Championship.

ABU DHABI, UAE (October 20, 2015) – The chief of the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) has added his respected voice to the chorus of global praise for Yas Links as the Abu Dhabi course prepares to host the 27th Nomura Cup amateur men’s team championship this week.

2015 Nomura Cup - Abu Dhabi Opening Press Conference. (Left to right) Dominic Wall, R&A Director of Asia Pacific - H.E. Sheikh Fahim Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, EGF Chairman, - Dr. David Cherry, APGC Chairman

2015 Nomura Cup – Abu Dhabi Opening Press Conference. (Left to right) Dominic Wall, R&A Director of Asia Pacific – H.E. Sheikh Fahim Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, EGF Chairman, – Dr. David Cherry, APGC Chairman

APGC Chairman Dr. David Cherry described the Kyle Phillips design, which fringes Abu Dhabi’s F1 motor-racing circuit and the western shores of Yas Island, as the “the best links course in the world” at today’s tournament opening media conference today.

Pressed further, Dr. Cherry conceded his comments “may disappoint my Scottish friends” but stood by his call on the 7414-yard, par 72 layout which has been presented in pristine condition by Yas Links’ New Zealand superintendent Michael Clark.

“I mean that and I would say that anywhere, even in Scotland,” the Australian administrator said. “It’s a magnificent layout…it’s just a pure links golf course. It’s challenging, it’s tough enough for a major event such as this…what else do you need?”

Dr. Cherry’s endorsement is a major fillip for Yas Links Abu Dhabi and the Emirates Golf Federation which is organising the Nomura Cup on behalf of the APGC.

Australia, which has won a record 10 Nomura Cups and seven of the last eight titles, will defend its title at Yas Links as 27 countries battle over 72 holes from Thursday to Sunday in an event that is second only to the Eisenhower Trophy world amateur men’s team championship in terms of size and stature.

yas-links-abu-dhabiThe praise is nothing new for Yas Links Abu Dhabi with the club ranked the 24th best course in the world (outside of the U.S.) by Golf Digest. It has previously rated as high as 20th in the trusted magazine’s illustrious list.

Dr. Cherry’s bold call will raise eyebrows given the famed links courses ranked above Yas Links – Royal County Down is No.1 while Open Championship venues St Andrews (Old Course), Muirfield, Turnberry (Ailsa course), Carnoustie and Royal Birkdale are inside the top 20.

But it is still music to the ears of the likes of Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) which promotes the emirate’s six courses worldwide through its ‘Golf in Abu Dhabi’ initiative.

“I mean you’ve already got Abu Dhabi Golf Club [host of the European Tour’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship] and Saadiyat Beach is also a fantastic golf course, but this [Yas Links] is the pick of them,” Dr. Cherry said

Cherry said the APGC would consider bringing future events to Abu Dhabi and his comments on Yas Links won’t go unnoticed globally. EGF vice chairman and Nomura Cup organising committee chairman Adel Zarouni has been quoted previously, in his role as Arab Golf Federation (AGF) Secretary-General, that a bid for the Eisenhower Trophy would be the obvious next step if they were successful in hosting the Nomura Cup.

That appears guaranteed given Dr. Cherry’s early praise.“This is a very attractive place to come and particularly with the support of the Emirates Golf Federation. Adel Zarouni has been amazing the way he has supported this event ,” Dr. Cherry said.

“The infrastructure is fantastic here, all the hotels nearby, a major airport, that’s a huge plus, people can fly straight in. They’ll have more major events here, absolutely.”

Meanwhile, Cherry forecasts a bright future for women’s game in the region after female golf recently came under the umbrella of the APGC. An Asia-Pacific women’s championship is on the horizon.

“The Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship [men] has been a major success and we now owe it to the women, because they dominate professional golf, and women’s amateur golf in this region is also incredibly strong.

“I want women’s golf in this area of the world, the Gulf states, to do whatever they can to promote young Muslim women to play golf. I know there might be a bit of a barrier but I’m hoping we can overcome that and make them feel comfortable to be playing golf.”

National Senior Squad Travels to France for Biomechanics Training

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(Terre Blanche, France) – From August 28th to September 8th the National Senior Squad will be in Terre Blanche, France training at the David Leadbetter Golf Academy and Biomecaswing Sport Performance Center.

Senior Player, Rashid Hamood, working on his swing with Jean-Jacques Rivet

Senior Player, Rashid Hamood, working on his swing with Jean-Jacques Rivet

Managed by Jean-Jacques Rivet the Biomecaswing Sport Performance Center combines biomechanics with modern technology to improve golfers of all abilities. The center allows golfers to develop the performance and the understanding of their swing. The training takes into account the body type and personal ability of each golfer. The system analyses posture, mobility, balance, and intensity of each movement to adapt and optimize each individual player.

This center offers more than just a training program. This center offers services that fit and tailor the unique biomechanical swing profile of every golfer. Biomecaswing combines scientific knowledge with applied biomechanics and more than 10 years of experience on professional golf circuits where the concept has been adopted by many of the greatest golfers in the world.

DSC_0012With the technology and computer-assisted biomechanical analysis the swing is correlated with a morphological diagnosis of the players skeletal structure, neuro-motor system, and physical efficiency. This detailed analysis will pinpoint the player’s strengths and weaknesses. The findings will show how to make ultimate use of a golf swing. This way the player can increase strengths and learn how to deal with the limits of their physiology.

 

To find more information regarding the Manitoba Team visit the EGF Website at www.egfgolf.com or email the EGF at info@egfgolf.com.

You can also keep up to date with the Senior Summer Camp on social media, as there will be daily posts of the squads’ time in France. Like, Share, or Comment on the Federation Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn pages.

UPDATE: UAE Junior Summer Camp – Germany

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(Fleesensee, Germany) – The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Junior Summer Camp commenced on Monday, August 10th at Fleesensee Golf Resort in Germany. After a full week of hard training the camp is in full swing.

UAE National Players receiving a putting lesson from putting specialist Wiestaw Kramski

UAE National Players receiving a putting lesson from putting specialist Wiestaw Kramski

The group includes current U18, U15, and Girls National Team players. As well as some junior players from the National Junior Development Program (NJDP) that will be playing on the UAE National Teams in the near future.

The camp has been designed to cover all aspects of the game of golf from technique to etiquette and rules.

Fitness and Tennis Lessons

Fitness and Tennis Lessons

The schedule has extremely intense, there have been many rounds of golf on the Fleesensee courses as well as  plenty of fitness routines. The introductions of other sports has been very valuable aspect to help improve movement skills and to change the environment for the kids. The squads have currently played 4 rounds of golf in 4 days.

The more developed players had a surprise session with Wiestaw Kramski. Kramski coaches many tour players and is a specialist in putter design and manufacturing. He explained why it is the important to have a putter correctly fitted and also shared some of his key coaching tips.

Tomorrow the group will be back on the course playing 4 rounds in a row over the next few days.

To find more information regarding the National Junior Squad visit the EGF Website at www.egfgolf.com or email the EGF at info@egfgolf.com.

You can also keep up to date with the Summer Camp on social media, as there will be daily posts of the squads’ time in Germany. Like, Share, or Comment on the Federation Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn pages.