UAE Resident Seals Place In World’s Leading Junior Tournament

Cream of junior golf eyes Abu Dhabi success

The UAE’s Daniel Hendry will lead the charge for next month’s 2010 Abu Dhabi Junior Golf Championship, in association with The Daily Telegraph, as he lines up against 20 of the UK and Ireland’s top junior golfers for a shot at the coveted title.

Hendry, a 16-year-old UAE resident, will become only the second Middle East-based golfer to compete in the Championship, which counts the likes of Justin Rose, the four-time European Tour winner, and Ryder Cup star Andrew Coltart among its past winners. Hendry qualified for the finals by winning October’s Kentz Junior Open at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club.

“The UAE has many very good players, so I am honoured to have been given this opportunity to represent the Emirates. I love playing Abu Dhabi Golf Club’s National Course, and to do so in such a major tournament will be a fantastic experience,” said Hendry.

This prestigious tournament will see 12 boys and nine girls, selected from an opening field of over 40,000, battle it out at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club from November 28 to 30. A special challenge match featuring 21 of the Middle East’s best junior golfers will be held the preceding day at the stunning Gary Player-designed, Saadiyat Beach Golf Club in the UAE capital.

“We look forward to welcoming these talented youngsters to Abu Dhabi for what may become a watershed tournament in their hopefully long and illustrious careers,” said Faisal Al Sheikh, Events Manager, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), which is behind the tournament.

“This year, for the first time, these future champions will have the opportunity to experience two of our world-class golf courses. By developing facilities such as these, and by offering the opportunity to compete with the world’s best, we hope to nurture golfing excellence among UAE nationals and expatriates alike.”

Both titles are set to be very open this year. Among the favourites for the boys are Rhys Pugh, who has captained Great Britain and Ireland; Oliver Carr and Ben Taylor, both members of the U18 England squad; and Toby Tree, who is a member of the U16 England squad. In the girls, defending champion Alexandra Peters will be looking to retain her crown, but will face stiff competition from the likes of Kelly Tidy and Amy Boulden, who recently played for Europe in the Junior Ryder Cup.

The challenge match is an excellent testing ground for youngsters from the UAE and wider region. In 2009, 17-year-old Emirati Sohail Al Marzooqi partnered Tom Ibbertson from the UK to victory. Reflecting on the win, Marzooqi said: “I was thrilled to win the match, especially considering the quality of the opposition. The whole event was just a great experience.”

Organised since the 1960s by The Daily Telegraph, Britain’s biggest-selling broadsheet newspaper, November’s event marks the second year of ADTA’s headline sponsorship of the tournament. The partnership is a key step in establishing Abu Dhabi’s impressive credentials as a world-class event and golfing destination of distinction.

ADTA recently made history with the headline signing of HSBC, the world’s local bank, as title sponsor for its new-look European Tour-backed golf championship, running from January 20 to 23, 2011. The deal is the biggest international headline sponsorship for any Abu Dhabi-initiated sporting event and sees the prize purse for the 2011 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship rise by US$500,000 to US$2.7 million.
 

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