Spearheaded by Jakub Hrinda, a rich assortment of teenage prodigies will bring a breath of fresh air to the competition when the second leg of the MENA Golf Tour gets under way with the Dubai Creek Open later this month.
Slovakia’s Hrinda showed flashes of brilliance on his debut at the 2013 Qatar Classic when, aged just 13 year, six months and 24 days, he became the youngest golfer to win the amateur division of a MENA Golf Tour since its inception in 2011.
A ninth grade student at Doha College at that time, Hrinda finished with a level-par score of 216, putting in the shade more experienced players in his division to announce his arrival on the big stage with a bang. Hrinda is now hoping to build on his success when he joins the likes of James Allan and Elliott Oxlade, both of England, India’s Rayhan Thomas and Jung Bin Kim of South Korea in a teen brigade bursting at the seams with confidence.
“At the core of our mission is a deep commitment to develop amateurs who represent their countries. They are the ones who will inspire more people to take up golf at the right age,” said Mohamed Juma Buamaim, chairman of the MENA Golf Tour.
“Ours is the only golf tour which is open to amateurs. And it’s quite encouraging to see many youngsters are using this platform to get to the next level. We want to encourage our players to turn professional, but not rush them."
Also included in the amateur division are the experienced Michael Harradine of Switzerland, England’s James Yeomans, Zi Hao Su of China and Lebanon’s Rachid Akl, who at the age of 56, is the oldest player in the entire field.
With many of the youngsters, including Oman’s Azaan Al Rumhy, playing their first event of the current season in Dubai, the script will have its own share of emotions and drama before the champions are crowned.
A former winner of the Oman Open Golf Championship, Al Rumhy will be the player to beat in the Arab division of the Shaikh Maktoum Golf Foundation Award which recognises the performance of the top three Arab professionals and amateurs from their respective divisions in each event.
