Can the UAEs Best Amateur Golfers regain the trophy from the Professionals in the 2011 Dubai Golf Trophy
This September marks the return of one of the most hotly anticipated local golfing events of the season as the Dubai Golf Trophy returns to The Faldo Course at Emirates Golf Club on 22nd and 23rd September 2011.
Over two days of intense competition the 16 leading UAE based PGA Professionals and the leading 16 Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) Amateur golfers will go head to head in a Ryder Cup style showdown in a bid to be crowned champions in the twelfth edition of the Dubai Golf Trophy. The event originally started as a social season ending tournament in 2000 at the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club. Since then the event has grown in popularity and prestige and is now one of the highlights of the local golfing calendar for professionals and amateurs alike.
After some tense moments and closely fought competition the Professionals eventually claimed victory in the 2010 competition, which means that they have now taken home the past three trophies. This brings the total victories for the professionals to nine wins against the Amateurs two, having claimed victory in 2005 and 2007. However, despite the statistics being strongly in the Professionals favour, Miki Mirza, the 2011 Amateur captain remains in a positive mood, “All of the Amateur players are working hard on their games leading up to the event and we aim to be at our peaks so that we can all bring our A games to the table. Beating the Pro’s would mean a lot to us and we are all looking forward to it, plus the bragging rights that come with winning are priceless!”
The Professional’s captain for 2011 is Malcolm Young from Arabian Ranches who commented that,
“Very simply winning means everything, the Professional team is 100% committed and every team
member is eager to do their bit for a victory. We have a team of winners both in character and ability
and gaining a place on our team is a highlight of the season for all of the professionals that make it”.
Although the professionals have a strong track record in the event, Young does not underestimate the challenge that lies ahead, “The matches don’t get any easier, the amateurs get stronger every year and the professionals always have to rely on their experience to win, this year’s event promises to be another exciting tournament and I am sure that it will be down to the wire as in previous years”.
This year Prosports International are supporting the event, David Stevenson of Prosports International said, “We are very pleased to be part of the Dubai Golf Trophy. The event offers Professional and Amateur golfers in the region a unique opportunity to go head to head against one another in friendly yet competitive matches and we are all eagerly awaiting the outcome of this year’s competition”.
Christopher May, General Manager of Dubai Golf has been involved with the event since it started in
2000. He commented that “The Dubai Golf Trophy is always a very popular event which is guaranteed to provide some interesting competition and results. Naturally there is a very competitive spirit between the two teams and qualifying to play in the event is always an honour for the golfers involved, however the key purpose of the event is really to raise the profile of golf in the region and to bring players from clubs all over the UAE together. I am extremely happy to see so many young golfers competing in the Amateur team of this year’s event and this send out a very positive message of what can be achieved to many of the talented young players that we have learning the game in the region”.
Teams
Professionals
· Malcolm Young (Arabian Ranches Golf Club)
· Stephen Hubner (Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club)
· Callum Nicol (The Els Club)
· Alastair Brown (Emirates Golf Club)
· Ryan Smith (The Montgomerie)
· David Gray (Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club)
· Craig Martin (E C S Golf)
· Matt Naylor (The Montgomerie)
· Chris Vallender (EGF)
· Fraser McLaughlin (Al Ain Golf Shooting and Equestrian Club)
· Simon Payne (Tower Links Golf Club)
· Dong Lee (Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club)
· Steve Chambers (Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club)
· Kenny Monaghan (Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club)
· Paul Hubner (Arabian Ranches Golf Club)
· Ross McArthur (Al Hamra Golf Club)
Amateurs
· Miki Mirza
· Abdalla Al Musharrekh
· Daniel Hendry
· Ahmed Al Musharrekh
· Khalid Yousuf
· Brett Armstrong
· Ariel Ignacio
· John Mills
· Alexander DeWet
· Nabil Sharif
· Joel Neale
· Paul King
· Ricky Dominguez
· Alex Charawani
· John Fellingham
· Craig Forrest
