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Joel, Abdulla relish Faldo Series experience

DUBAI — Joel Neale and Abdulla Mosharrekh have returned home “richer in experience,” after competing in the Faldo Series International Trophy at the Hong Kong Golf Club earlier this week.

The talented UAE duo, making their first appearance in the high-profile event which attracted a galaxy of international junior players, may not have finished strongly, but were delighted with their “wonderful outing in Hong Kong.”

Forty-eight young golfers from all around the world participated in the event, hosted by six-time major champion Nick Faldo to identify and nurture the next generation of champions.

Aside from the chance to met and compete with their international contemporaries, those invited also attended seminars with Faldo, plus fitness and rules workshops, continuing the Faldo Series tradition of combining competition with education.

Blustery conditions over the Hong Kong Club’s Eden course left many in the field struggling to string together their round. And the UAE players too found it difficult to find their rhythm.

“Yes, it wasn’t easy to control your game,” said Abdulla who shot 88 in the first round and a 91 in the second. “The fairways were too tight and you needed to be precise with your tee and approach shots. One bad shot and you were gone.

“It happened with me in the second round. I birdied the first and followed it with two pars in a row, but blew a nice start on the par-4 fourth. I had a great drive, but overshot the green with a six iron approach. The ball rolled into bushes and I ended up making a disappointing nine,” said Abdulla who plays off a five handicap.

“I am not concerned about the big numbers that I shot, the whole experience of playing in Hong Kong was simply great. You don’t often get a chance to play in such a quality field and meet a great player like Nick Faldo. I asked him many golf-related questions and he answered them all with patience.”

Joel, who plays off a two, was equally delighted with whole experience : “We played well, but only in patches. Our tee-to-green lacked consistency. Nevertheless, it was a great learning experience,” said Joel, who carded a 96 in the first round and 84 in the second. “We had great time there. The hospitality was superb. It was an honour to meet Nick Faldo and attend his seminar,” said Joel, adding: “We would love to play there again.”

The UAE Golf Association supported the trip of the two leading juniors on the Gulf News-backed UGA Order of Merit.

England’s John Parry, a 19-year-old from Knaresborough, Yorkshire, shot a superb one under par 69 following an opening round 70 to take the prestigious title, one shot ahead of last year’s champion Ben Evans.

The girl’s championship was also closely contested. Asia’s Wendy Tsai was in a battle with overnight leader Tiffany Avern-Taplin and England’s Kiran Matharu, but managed to hold both players off to win by one shot with her two round score of 151 (77-74).

Matharu, who is one of England’s promising young players and who has achieved great success in the Faldo Series in recent years, finished runner-up alongside Avern-Taplin.

“It was a wonderful week in Hong Kong. We’ve combined tournament experience with expert advice for the talented players while at the same time have introduced aspiring golfers to the game,” said Faldo.

“The International Trophy has been a fantastic step towards bringing the Faldo Series to Asia,” he added.