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UAE’s Skaik pleased with his performance in Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship

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Ahmad Skaik in action. (Supplied photo)

Ahmad Skaik in action. (Supplied photo)

It was a creditable performance from someone who has just come back from injury setbacks

Published: Sun 7 Nov 2021, 4:08 PM

Updated: Sun 7 Nov 2021, 4:25 PM

  • By
  • Team KT

The UAE’s sole representative in the last two rounds, Ahmad Skaik, could hold his head high after carding a level-par 71 on the final day of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club.

Skaik got off to a flyer, carding three birdies and a bogey in his opening four holes. He hit back from a dropped shot on eight with another birdie on 10, but didn’t get the rub of the green with successive bogeys on 16 and 17, and settled for a four-over total of 288 and 42nd place.

It was a creditable performance from someone who has just come back from injury setbacks.

“I felt very good out there today, hitting good iron shots and making good putts. I’m pretty happy with my performance, I took it to the next level and hopefully I can keep it up,” Skaik said.

On representing the UAE, he said: “It is an honour for me. I would like to inspire the ones coming up, my younger brother as well. So I hope I have been a decent role model this week.”

Skaik then revealed his professional goals.

“I have planned to finish next semester and then maybe play 6 months to a year and hopefully turn professional if the time is right,” he said.

Nakajima triumphs

Meanwhile, Keita Nakajima became the third player from Japan to win the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, defeating Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho on the second hole of a thrilling playoff on Saturday at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club.

With his win, the 21-year-old Nakajima receives an invitation to the Masters Tournament in 2022, thus making his dream of playing a practice round at Augusta National Golf Club with the reigning Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama come true, as well as an exemption into The 150th Open at St Andrews.

“I am very proud of what I have achieved. I am so excited that I will be playing three majors in 2022 (he is also exempt for the US Open as part of winning the Mark H. McCormack Medal as the men’s World No. 1 in 2021 WAGR). I am very thankful to the tournament for giving us such great opportunities,” said Nakajima.



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