Stage Set for International Pairs UAE Finale at Dubai Creek
After 16 Qualifiers at 16 clubs across the UAE, the stage is set for the finale of the inaugural Tech Access International Pairs UAE Presented by Cadillac. With a good chance of winning an all-expenses luxury trip to Scotland and the International Pairs World Final, pairs representing clubs in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Dubai, Ras al Khaimah and Sharjah will gather at one of the most famous courses in the country on Friday 27th May and attempt to become the first pair to travel to this prestigious world event on the banks of Loch Lomond in the home of golf – Scotland.
Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club is the venue for this year’s National Final while their illustrious neighbour, Park Hyatt Dubai, will host the Awards Dinner that evening when one pair will be crowned UAE champions and receive the trip of a lifetime to Scotland where they will stay at the acclaimed Cameron House Hotel and play three rounds at The Carrick – one of the newest courses in the birthplace of golf. Nestled along the banks of Loch Lomond, this is golf at its most picturesque where players do well to focus on their golf with the stunning natural beauty, a constant distraction.
But only one lucky pair will have this experience and it is difficult to choose favourites within a field that contains 16 proven winning combinations. The most recent Qualifier winners from Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club – Larry Benson & Andre Heyns – only qualified in early May so their form is current and might be a factor however the essential differences between their home track and the longer Dubai Creek course might be difficult to overcome. With this in mind, perhaps, ‘home’ qualifers – Naresh Handa & KJ Singh – hold a significant advantage.
The average handicap of the National Finalists is 12 so it would be prudent to keep an eye on pairings that hold handicaps close to this. Three teams stand out on this front – Nathan Brown & Andrew Hanel (Al Ghazal Golf Club), Gerry Brady & Geoffrey Neal (Jumeirah Golf Estates), George Gourlay & Kevin Black (Els Club). There is a popular opinion that in this better-ball format, a high-low combination is best and although this theory was not borne out in the qualifiers, Roy Holmes of Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club is the lowest handicapper in the field (4) and his partner, JW Kim, plays off a potentially useful 12. Emirates Golf Federation team Charles Blincow & Kevin Perrins and Paul McCullough & Ray La Bonte of Tower Links also arrive with a high-low combination and are no doubt in favour of this opinion.
Only two pairs claim single figure handicaps between them and that might be significant on this tight waterbound course. The very first qualifiers, Ian Kelly & Denver Farrell (Arabian Ranches) and Chris Rossmeisl & Charles Parks of Abu Dhabi Golf Club are drawn together and will each view the other pair as a benchmark on the day. Stuarts Blan & Williams of Abu Dhabi City Golf Club are not far from this category, however it remains to be seen if they can bring their best games from their shorter 9-hole home course to Dubai Creek.
Emirates Golf Club representatives Rabih Sfeila & Micky Chopra will begin the day comfortable in the knowledge that the course is no longer than their home track and can take confidence from the fact that they came through as winners of the largest event in the series where 88 members vied for honours – definitely a team to watch out for.
And what of the ladies? Only four of the sixteen pairs feature ladies but none of them should be discounted on a course where several holes offer advantages to them. Multiple event winner Satnam Kaur is representing The Montgomerie Dubai with her son Sandeep Singh and they stand out as obvious favourites however, Claire Warburton and Bob Driver (Sharjah Wanderers) enter the final with the distinction of returning the highest winning score to qualify (49 points) and could be destructive. Karen & Phil Mallinson came through a tight finish at Al Hamra but will need to hold their nerve especially with seasoned campaigners and the only other husband/wife combination, Gerard & Agnes Letier-Lacaze from Yas Links, in the fireld. Both pairs have the potential to challenge for honours.
So the field is set and wide open. Picking a winner at this stage is impossible and the chances of a tight finish are as high as the stakes.
Tech Access International Pairs UAE Presented by Cadillac is sponsored by Tech Access, Cadillac, Diamond Developers, Emirates Healthcare Ltd. and partnered by Park Hyatt Dubai, Delwood, Nike Golf, Sport 360, Worldwide Golf and UAE Golf Online.
Photo:Venue for the 2010-11 International Pairs UAE National Final, Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club and Park Hyatt Dubai
