ABU DHABI: The standard of golf is fast improving across the Middle East, according to Duncan Weir, director of golf development at the sport’s governing body, the R&A.
Speaking after attending the Abu Dhabi Junior Golf Championship (ADJGC), presented by The Daily Telegraph, which saw some of the world’s best young golfers battle it out in the UAE capital, Weir praised the progress that the region is making.
“Golf has moved forward dramatically in the Middle East in recent years,” he said. “We have seen the creation of an increasing number of grass courses, such as the soon-to-be-launched venues on Saadiyat and Yas islands in Abu Dhabi. At the same time, a number of professional golf championships have also gained a firm foothold in the region in the form of the Gulf Swing.
“In the past, the golfing season was generally considered to start with the US Masters. Nowadays you could say that the Middle East championships have taken this role. The region is a great place to play golf, with a superb climate and courses of the highest caliber, encapsulated by the beautifully presented National Course at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club, which is a perfect venue for the European tour and the ADJGC.” The R&A is firmly committed to developing the sport on a global basis, and the Middle East has benefited from this input, with its assistance here ranging from supporting pan-Arab championships to running schools on the rules of golf.
“Our objective in the region is to encourage more people to play more golf, more often in more places. We recognize this will not happen overnight, but we hope that young players will be enthused by championships such as the ADJGC,” added Weir.
The ADJGC finals featured the 20 best under-18 golfers from the British Isles, who qualified from an opening field of over 40,000, along with a UAE-based player. Organized by The Daily Telegraph since the 1960s, this year is the first with Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority as headline sponsor.
It is also the latest step in establishing Abu Dhabi’s global reputation as a destination for major sporting events, and is part of the emirate’s strategy to encourage the development of local sporting talent.
