RIYADH: Kingdom No. 1 Othman Almulla has earned an invite to play in the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship set for Jan. 21-24.
That makes the 23-year-old Almulla the first Saudi golfer to get the chance to play in all three Middle East-based “Gulf swing” tournaments on the European Tour.
In 2008, Almulla earned a spot in the Commercialbank Qatar Masters at Doha Golf Club after winning the Qatar Open. He capped the year by winning the Saudi Aramco Invitational Tournament in November to become the first homegrown golfer to win the prestigious event.
His Qatar Masters stint followed a major breakthrough in which he qualified for the Omega Dubai Desert Classic in 2007 by finishing as the amateur winner of its qualifying event. He was then the youngest Saudi and Arab golfer to ever play in the Desert Classic.
To be played at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club’s National Course the tournament kicks off the European Tour’s Gulf swing. The Doha Golf Club then hosts the Qatar Masters Jan. 28-31 before the Tour moves to the UAE for the Dubai Desert Classic Feb. 4-7.
Saudi Golf Federation president and Dirab Golf & Country Club course owner Khaled Abunayyan welcomed the new Almulla milestone as a huge boost to the Saudi game while announcing that a special program to prepare Almulla for the Abu Dhabi tournament has been put in place.
Abunayyan said that the federation would tap its resources to help and support Almulla.
“We were pleased by the participation of the Saudi national team player Othman Almulla in the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship. We note with pride that he is the first Saudi player to participate in this global event,” he said.
