The Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) hosted the 2019 UAE Presidents Cup at Yas Links Abu Dhabi. Sponsored by HSBC, the 7th edition of the UAE Presidents Cup saw it’s the largest number of participants since the event first started in 2013. 89 players competed in the main event and 24 players played in the Par 3 Championship. Winning for his fourth time Khalid Yousuf was the 2019 Champion.
Yousuf fired consecutive rounds of 71 for a championship total of 142, two-under-par. Yousuf seemed to be in control of his game all weekend and the with the weather in perfect scoring conditions nothing could take Khalid out of his game. “It was great to win the UAE Presidents Cup again after a long hiatus. I managed my game extremely well and was able to play very consistently over the two days”, Yousuf said after raising the trophy for the first time since 2015.
“The team at Yas Links did a great job with the course set and running the event very smoothly. With over 110 players competing in five different divisions, it’s always tough for operations but Yas Links continuously manages top-level championships” Yousuf added.
Khalid also added “A big thanks must go to HSBC for their annual support of this National Championship and to their efforts in junior golf development. It was fantastic to see such a great turnout with a lot of new faces, especially seeing so many juniors in the field this year. Lastly, the EGF and their staff deserve a special thank you for the support of UAE National Golf and for arranging such a prestigious event”.
Taking the Runner-Up prize with rounds of 75 – 70 for an event total of 145 was Abdalla Al Musharrekh. Abdalla started a bit slow but with a 70 on the final day he, was back in contention. That 70, two-under-par final round also gave Abdalla the Runner-Up position by having the better day two result.
Rounding out the Top-3 and coming in Third Place, was Ahmed Skaik. Ahmed also finished with a total of 145 for the event and after his second place finish last year and now third place finish this year, he will have his eyes fixed on champions’ spot next year.
The event also presented players with the chance to win a Net Prize. The overall Net Winner for 2019 was Abdul Rahman Al Laggiti with net scores of 69 – 64 for a championship total of 133 net.
This year the event added a new Senior Division that saw over 20 different competitors that were over the age of 50 years old. The winner of the Senior Division with gross scores of 85 – 88 for a total of 173 was Sultan Abdul Ali.
Winning the Ladies Division for the third year in a row was Reema Al Heloo. Seems to be a yearly trend but with many new ladies in the National Junior Development Program, Reema will have her work cut out for her in a few years. With that being said Reema continues to get better each year as she fired an event total of 158 gross score, nine shots better than last year.
The Ladies Overall Net winner was Dr. Rabab Al Haj with a net score of 153.
The Junior Division was played over 27 holes, which saw 10 competitors. This is the largest Junior Field since the event has started. Walking away with the 2019 Junior Division title was Sultan Al Jassmy. Sultan shot a championship total of 140 to claim his first ever UAE Presidents Cup victory.
Winning the Runner-Up prize in the Junior Division was Rashid Al Jassmy with a championship total of 152 and taking home the Third Place prize was Shahad Al Suwaidi.
In efforts to develop the game of golf within the national community, the 2019 UAE Presidents Cup sponsored by HSBC also hosted a Par 3 Championship on the Yas Links challenging Academy Course.
24 members of the EGF National Foundation Squad, between the ages of 6 and 15, competed in a 9-hole championship. Coming out on top and crowned the 2019 UAE Presidents Cup sponsored by HSBC Par 3 Champion was Zayed Ali. Runner-Up was Rashid Al Hefeiti and Rafeeah Al Owais won the Third Place prize.
“The addition of the Par 3 Championship is important to the EGF and the UAE Presidents Cup as this will showcase the future generation of golfers. These kids will be the future National Team players and the future players that will keep the game of golf flourishing in the UAE”, said Khalid Mubarak Al Shamsi the Secretary General of the EGF.
Al Shamsi also added, “On behalf of the Emirates Golf Federation we would like to thank HSBC for their sponsorship and Yas Links for hosting our event”.
HSBC is a globally recognized organization in banking with an event management sector that has a purpose to be where the growth is. With impressive golf events like the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and worldwide influence on junior golf programs, HSBC was an easy fit for the EGF and this event.
To close the event the award ceremony was graced with HH Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, along with other dignitaries from HSBC, UAE Special Olympic Committee and EGF Board of Directors.
To view all photos from this event find the Emirates Golf Federation on Facebook and Social Media. The EGF will be back in action at the next month at the National Monthly Medal on March 2nd, at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.
The Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) was formed in 1995 and is the Governing Body of Golf in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The EGF administrates and provides the United States Golf Association (USGA) Handicap System to all EGF members. The EGF sanctions all amateur and professional golfing events and activities in the UAE.
The EGF is a non-profit organization with the goals and responsibility of increasing awareness and participation in golf. The EGF actively conducts an Order of Merit Season, National Junior Development Program, and Senior, Junior, and Ladies National Team Programs. The EGF and UAE golf clubs work closely together to help shape the future of golf in the UAE.
To gain more information about the EGF and UAE golf visit the EGF Website and Social Media pages listed.
