Golf: I want to become one of the best players in the world, says UAE's Ahmad Skaik

UAE's number one golfer will take part in the Ras Al Khaimah Championship

The UAE’s No.1 golfer, Ahmad Skaik, is relishing the prospect of another chance to tee it up alongside some of the best players in the world when he joins the field at this week’s inaugural Ras Al Khaimah Championship (February 3-6) at Al Hamra Golf Club.

The high-profile event will be followed by next week’s Ras Al Khaimah Classic, set to be played over the same course.

It will be the 24-year-old Skaik’s sixth appearance in a DP World Tour event and he revealed that he’s becoming more and more comfortable under the spot light in such a high-pressure environment.

“The first time I played a DP World Tour event I just let the tournament get the better of me,” said Skaik of his DP World Tour debut at the 2020 Golf in Dubai Championship.

“But as you start to play more, you realise that you’re hitting a golf shot, it doesn’t matter if you’re playing an event or practicing, it’s the same golf shot, it’s the same golf course. I know people are watching and want me to do well but you just have to focus on the shot in hand and let the training take over.”

Last year’s AVIV Dubai Championship heralded a new era for golf in the UAE after Skaik carded the lowest DP World Tour round by an Emirati in history on the opening day with an impressive four under par 68 over the Fire course at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

It was the second successive week the youngster had made the headlines after his heroics at the previous week’s Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, where he became only the second Emirati to make the cut.

Skaik went on to narrowly miss the cut at Jumeirah Golf Estates and did so again at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic last month.

But he has another opportunity to become the first Emirati to play the final 36 holes at DP World Tour event when he tees it up for two weeks in Ras Al Khaimah.

While the majority of the field heading to northern-most Emirate will be taking on the course for the first time, Skaik has plenty of experience of the challenges it poses with numerous outings at Emirates Golf Federation-sanctioned tournaments as well as the Ras Al Khaimah National Matchplay Challenge, which was played on the second day of the season-ending Ras Al Khaimah Challenge Tour Grand Final in 2018.

“It’s great to see the game grow here with the help of the DP World Tour hosting more and more events here each season,” he said. “But we need to have more Emiratis players competing in these events, not just participating. Hopefully I can do it soon.”