UAE’s Ahmad Skaik fired up for Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC) in Melbourne

The highest ranked amateur in the country will also compete against a strong field of golfers from the Middle East

By Team KT

Published: Wed 25 Oct 2023, 7:05 PM

Last updated: Wed 25 Oct 2023, 8:10 PM

Ahmed Skaik, the UAE's best amateur golfer, said he is ready to take on the weather Gods in Australia when he competes in the 2023 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC) which starts tomorrow (Thursday) at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Melbourne.

Skaik will be competing against the best amateur golfers in the Asia-Pacific region which also includes a strong contingent from the Middle East led by Saudi Arabia’s Khalid Attieh.

Others chasing success Down Under include Ali Abdullah Al Sharani and Saleh Ali Alkaabi (Qatar), Azzan Al Rumhy (Oman), Khalifa AlMaraisi (Bahrain), Rene Nicholas (Lebanon) and Mousa Shana’ah (Jordan).

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Skaik made the headlines a few years ago, after becoming only the second Emirati to make the cut at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship.

He has just finished representing the UAE in the World Amateur Team Championships (WATC) in Abu Dhabi where he competed against the best nations in the world.

“I had a very busy summer playing the Challenge Tour events, Pan-Arab Championship, and 1st Arab Professional Championship but the work is not over,” said Skaik.

“I felt so good playing team competition and representing my country at the 33rd Eisenhower Trophy in the World Amateur Team Championship and I am ready for the windy and rainy weather in Melbourne.”

Skaik tees off at 12.52 pm local time alongside players from Thailand and South Korea.

The AAC was created in February 2009 as a common idea to grow the game in the Asia-Pacific area by the AAC, the Masters Tournament, and the R&A.

Each year, the winner gets an invitation to play in the Masters Tournament and The Open and the runner (s)-up can go directly in The Open Qualifying Series.

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The field of 120 players is drawn annually from the best men’s amateurs in the Asia-Pacific region, invited from the 42 Asia Pacific Golf Confederation member organizations.