International Pairs UAE 2013-14 season opener launched at Arabian Ranches Golf Club
The first of the 2013-14 OnCourse Golf International Pairs qualifying tournaments took place at Arabian Ranches Golf club on Saturday 26th October.
A superb field of 64 golfers took to the course in an effort to earn a place in the UAE Grand Final in May next year, and a chance to qualify for the World Final in Scotland later that year.
Prior to the day’s play, OnCourse Golf, the UAE’s foremost golf day management company, announced the dates for the 2013-2014 season. With a minimum of sixteen qualifying tournaments at different golf clubs in the United Arab Emirates, plus a Grand Final, the OnCourse Golf International Pairs promises to build on the huge success that Chris Turlik has created with the event over the past three years.
Each golf club and the Emirates Golf Federation will host a members’ tournament for self-elected teams of two golfers who will compete for the respective club’s Pairs Championship, with the winners of all sixteen events going into a Grand Final at the end of the season on one of the championship golf courses in UAE.
The Grand Final will also feature a Sponsors’ Tournament on the same day, with teams from the various International Pairs sponsoring companies competing for separate prizes. The Grand Final day is completed by a Gala Dinner in the evening at which both competitors and sponsors will enjoy a feast of great food and entertainment.
OnCourse Golf’s managing director Steve Rutter, just back from the 2013 World Final in Scotland where the UAE’s International Pairs champions Alistair Purves and Jeff Glasgow competed, advised us at the press launch that a range of new sponsors were supporting the event, and announced “We are delighted to have VISA, TaylorMade, Mediclinic, Middle East Golfer, Sport 360, UAE Golf Online, VPAR and Virgin Atlantic Airlines supporting us this year, and we are grateful to them for making this year’s event even more prestigious,” said Rutter.
Joint managing director Rod Bogg said that he hoped that as many golfers in the UAE as possible would enjoy the latest series. “The International pairs has been a fantastic addition to the golfing calendar over the last few years, and we know that we need to make it very special for every participant if we are to maintain its success.” said Bogg.
At the end of the first qualifying round at The Ranches, the winners were Alain Delacourte and Cam Irwin who qualified for the final with a creditable score of 42 Stableford points, beating Mark and James Sayer and Matthew Derrick and Martin Atack Into second and third places respectively on a countback.
OnCourse Golf is a the first independent golf day management and golf advisory services company in the country and is dedicated to raising the profile of corporate golf days and to ensuring that sponsors and players alike get the best from every event that they manage.
