UAE golfers prepare for historic outing at Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship

DUBAI: Five UAE players will compete at the 16th Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship taking place on the Majlis Course at Emirates Golf Club from Oct. 23 to 26, the organizers announced recently.

Ahmad Skaik, Rayan Ahmad, Abdulla Kalbat, Jonathan Selvaraj and Sam Mullane will lead the UAE challenge as the championship returns to the UAE for the second time, following the 12th edition at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club in 2021.

Ahead of the tournament, four of the UAE contingent gathered at Emirates Golf Club to speak to local media, marking what promises to be a record-breaking week at the Middle East’s first grass course.

The five-player lineup surpasses the previous record of four UAE participants in the championship.

For Skaik, this year carries extra significance. The 28-year-old will make his sixth appearance in the event, but it will also be his final outing before turning professional.

He is no stranger to the elite stage, having teed up at the Dubai Desert Classic and Abu Dhabi Championship. He recently competed on invitations at several HotelPlanner Tour events, where earlier this year he became the first Emirati to make the cut for a European Tour group-sanctioned tournament.

“Tournaments like the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship have been pivotal in my journey as an amateur and have played a huge role in preparing me to turn professional after this event,” said Skaik.

“I’ve had plenty of fantastic memories at the championship, including becoming only the second Emirati to make the cut when it was last staged in the UAE, as well as hitting the opening tee shot that year.

“It feels like a fitting farewell to my amateur career to be joined by a record five participants representing the UAE at Emirates Golf