Ahmad Skaik will hit the opening tee shot at the Aviv Dubai Championship for the second successive year as the UAE’s No.1 golfer looks to build on his strong showing at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, where he produced the second-best result ever by an Emirati golfer.
The Aviv Dubai Championship will be held over the Fire course at Jumeirah Golf Estates from November 11-14. The event precedes the final Rolex Series event of 2021, the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, bringing the curtain down on this year’s Race to Dubai on the neighbouring Earth course.
The championship will mark Skaik’s fourth European Tour appearance having played last year’s edition as well as featuring twice at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. The amateur, playing off a handicap of +2.7, has an impressive resume including winning the 2020 UAE’s Presidents Cup and, most recently, finishing as the leading GCC player at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship.
“I’m honoured to be invited back to compete on the European Tour, hitting the first tee-shot of the event and represent my country ahead of the UAE’s 50th anniversary” said Ahmad Skaik. “I’m so thankful for these opportunities, my game is in a good place following the Asia-Pacific Amateur Champs so I’m hopeful to build upon it for a solid performance this week.
“Looking ahead, I’m hoping I can put myself in there amongst the big guns week in, week out. If the time is right, I aim to turn pro in six months to a year and try to be in incredible events like the Aviv Dubai Championship regularly. The ultimate goal is to inspire the next generation of golfers, including my younger brother, I think playing in these events really gives the younger guys a feeling it’s attainable.”
The Aviv Dubai Championship provides the final opportunity to qualify for the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, where the top-50 players on the Race to Dubai rankings on Sunday will battle it out on the Earth course at Jumeriah Golf Estates to be named European Number One. Players on the edge of the Top-50, like European Ryder Cup Captain and Major winner, Padraig Harrington, and five-time European Tour winner, Alexander Levy, will need a strong performance this week to edge themselves into the final event of the season for the US$9 million prize pot.
