Rayhan Thomas is looking forward to returning to the tournament that he believes was the starting point of his incredible run last year.
The 17-year-old Dubai-based Indian amateur was the toast of golf in the region as he put together one sensational performance after another on the MENA Golf Tour, including winning the Dubai Creek Open. He thus became the first amateur and the first teenager to win on the Tour.
Not only did he claim the Amateur Order of Merit on the MENA Golf Tour, he also improved to No106 on the World Amateur Golf Rankings at the end of 2016, making him the highest ranked amateur player in the Middle East and the sub-continent.
Thomas’s reward this year is a dream spot in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, but before he tees up in the oldest professional tournament in the region, he wants to ensure he is competing against the European Tour’s finest the week before as well.
Thomas, who is now supported by ‘golf in DUBAi’, is playing this week’s Qatar Amateur Open at Doha Golf Club, a tournament where he is the defending champion. The three-round event starts tomorrow.
The win last year earned him a spot in the $2.5 million Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, where he missed the cut in tough playing conditions, but learned enough to revamp his game and go on the magnificent run that followed.
“The Qatar Masters was really the turning point for me, and that was made possible because I won the Qatar Amateur Open. I thought I played well, but more than anything else, it was a great learning experience playing against all the established pros of the European Tour and it made me think hard about my own golf,” said Thomas.
“After I came back, I had a long chat with my coach, Justin Parsons, and we tried to make some significant changes in my game.
Thankfully, by the time I started playing the MENA Golf Tour events, those changes had grooved in well. So, I am excited about defending my title at the Qatar Amateur Open, and hopefully, I will win it again and get to play my second Commercial Bank Qatar Masters. That would be an amazing start of the year for me to play such a big event the week before Omega Dubai Desert Classic, which will be a dream-come-true for me.”
Talking about his plans for 2017, Thomas said he is excited about playing some of the biggest world amateur events, now that his ranking has improved so much.
“The last couple of years, I have travelled to the UK and played tournaments there in the summer. I want to do that this year as well, but what I am most excited about is a trip to the United States to play a few amateur events there. Obviously, the US Amateurs is one tournament that I hope to qualify and play,” he added.
“These tournaments will be another step-up for me this year. I am looking forward to the new challenge. I am playing well and that gives me a lot of confidence that 2017 will turn out to be even better than 2016.”
