Fleetwood praises DP World support as anticipation grows for the International Pathway Series

World No. 10 Tommy Fleetwood has praised the backing of DP World and the DP World Golf Performance Centre ahead of the 54-hole Tommy Fleetwood International Pathway Series, presented by DP World and supported by the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA)..

The event will take place from Tuesday, October 15th to Thursday, October 17th, 2024, on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

A full field of 72 junior golfers, including 61 boys and 11 girls, will compete in this open competition, which marks the first Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) Junior Order of Merit tournament of the season.

Fleetwood expressed his excitement about the tournament, the first of three AJGA events in the UAE which will carry World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) points, supported by The R&A.

“It’s a great privilege to host the UAE’s first AJGA events,” said Dubai-based Fleetwood, a silver medalist at the 2025 Paris Olympic Games.

“The Tommy Fleetwood Academy has gone from strength to strength over the last eighteen months thanks to our partner DP World and the DP World Golf Performance Centre.

“Their support of these three events in the UAE now bridges the link between junior golfers and elite amateurs, giving everyone in the region a chance at every level, whether that’s starting golf for the first time or playing in a professional tournament,” Fleetwood added.

The first tee time on Tuesday is at 8.30 am – with pairings in three-balls, with the final tee time at 12.20 pm.

The AJGA series is a globally recognized pathway for elite amateur golfers to progress and compete at the highest level.

The AJGA’s international membership has grown to 60 different countries and represents nearly 10% of the overall membership.

The International Pathway Series is another step to make college golf scholarship exposure more accessible to all junior golfers. The series’ mantra is to bring opportunities closer to home for international members and reduce financial barriers.

Alumni of the AJGA who have progressed to the highest levels of amateur, collegiate, professional golf, include: Patrick Cantlay, Billy Horschel, Collin Morikawa, Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Tiger Woods, Paula Creamer, Jessica and Nelly Korda, Christie Kerr, Stacy Lewis, Inbee Park, Lexi Thompson and Rose Zhang.

The tournaments are open to all junior golfers, both boys and girls, aged 12 to 18, with a valid handicap. The entries were oversubscribed with a handicap ballot taking place to establish the full field.

The leading boys in the field include Oscar Craig (Jumeirah Golf Estates, +5.0), Victor Kofod-Olsen (Emirates Golf Club, +4.9), Raghav Gulati (Dubai Creek, +4.9), Rayan Ahmed (UAE, +4.8), Thomas Nesbitt (UAE, +4.1), and Paul Rezko (Saadiyat Beach, +3.7).

Among the top girls competing are Ananyaa Sood (The Els Club, Dubai, +3.3), Anca Mateiu (UAE, +3.1), and Faye Alblooshi (UAE, +2.7), all of whom are strong contenders for the title.

Anca earned the individual Gold Medal and was a vital member of the UAE Under-16 Girls' Team, which also claimed Gold at the Pan Arab Ladies and Youth Golf Championships last month in Tunisia. This week, she will compete alongside Aasiya Saleem (Montgomerie Golf Club, Dubai, +1.0), who is also part of the field.

Anca said, “I have had a very busy summer playing golf primarily overseas. This week’s Tommy Fleetwood International Pathway Series event at JGE is the first domestic UAE golf tournament on the calendar as well as the first on the 2024-25 EGF Junior Order of Merit. I am looking forward to playing golf against the best Under 18 junior golfers around.”