The GCC Under-15 Golf Championship gets underway tomorrow at the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club. The tournament will feature teams from all Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and hosts UAE.
– #Quiz360: WIN dinner for two at Media Rotana
– Voce and Merchant take top spot at Xerox Corporate Golf Challenge
– UAE shoot to victory at BMW Golf Cup International
Local knowledge could come in handy for the home team, as they will be targeting a crack at the gross championship after winning the nett title in the inaugural edition at Ghala Golf Club in Muscat in 2014, where they beat Saudi Arabia.
The UAE team of Mohammed Al Hajeri, Mahmood Skaik and Khalil Kashwani are working hard under national team coach Greg Holmes, and are hopeful of making a bigger impact this year.
“This is a new tournament and we are looking forward to making a fresh start. Our motto is to help the players achieve their fullest potential within a successful team environment,” said Holmes. “All members of the team are pretty much familiar with the course at Dubai Creek and we are confident that the team will put up a creditable performance.”
Jr. National Team practicing for the 2015 GCC Golf Championship – 15 & Under #GCCgolf #UAEgolf @DubaiCreekGolf pic.twitter.com/8VvBSag6kO
— Emirates Golf Fed. (@EGFuaegolf) March 16, 2015
Secretary-general of the Emirates Golf Federation and team manager Khalid Mubarak Al Shamshi said junior events like this are very important for the development of golf in the region.
“The tournament will be a good learning exercise for the UAE team as the standard of Arab junior golf has gone up over the years and we expect a close contest,” he said.
“Events like this play a great role in cementing sporting links between Arab countries and there is always a good camaraderie as players compete in a healthy environment.
“We firmly believe the way forward is to invest at the grassroots level. We can only build a strong foundation of golf if our youngsters are exposed to competitive environments at an early age. This under-15 tournament is the right platform for the emerging talent to get to their full potential.”
In the 2014 tournament, thanks to consistent performances from Rashad Al Harthy, Fahad Al Kitani and Fahad Al Mahrouqi, Oman emerged victorious in the gross division with a tally of 348, ahead of Kuwait (357) and Qatar (367).
Competition in the individual category, however, had produced a close affair with Saudi Arabia’s Saud Al Sherif taking the title with a creditable 168, just one ahead of Oman’s Fahad al Kitani.
The tournament is organised by Emirates Golf Federation, under the patronage of Shaikh Fahim Bin Sultan Al Qasimi. It is supported by the General Authority of Youth and Sport Welfare, golf in DUBAi, Ascorp Holding, Hyatt Regency, Rivoli, Esnaad, ME Fuji LLC, Commercial Bank of Dubai and Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club.
