Super-fit Al Musharrekh targets MENA Golf Tour glory

Ahmed Al Musharrekh

DUBAI: Ahmed Al Musharrekh believes fitness gained during a military training will be the silver bullet for a better game when he tees it up at the Dubai Creek Open, seeking his first MENA Golf Tour title next week.

“I’m more focused, more disciplined and have a kind of quiet confidence about myself that I never had before,” said the UAE’s only golf professional, who recently completed a mandatory national service for all Emiratis aged between 18 and 30.

“I’m excited to be back and playing some serious golf to knock off the rust, if there is any. The swing feels good. The confidence is there as I have shot many rounds in the 60s and it’s just a question of getting more consistent.

“The goal is to eventually get into contention week in and week out and then, hopefully, start winning golf tournaments,” said the 25-year-old, a scion of the first UAE golf family.

Golf runs in his family as his father (Mohammed Al Musharrekh) and both brothers (Abdullah and Hassan) have all represented the UAE in the regional circuit, but Ahmed, who has the most complete game of all, opted to make a career out the game.

Being the only professional in the (Gulf) region, Ahmed feels he needs to make a move sooner than later and win at least one tournament on the MENA Golf Tour if he is to realize his dream of putting UAE golf on the map and inspiring others to follow in his footsteps.

“The (MENA) tour is getting bigger and better every year. The level of competition is becoming more intense, but I am confident I can embrace the challenges and opportunities with the right training and experience,” said Ahmed, who, as an amateur, had won the 2012 GCC Championships, as well as individual and team gold medals in the 2011 Arab Games.

His moment in the spotlight could well come at the Dubai Creek Open to be played at his home course Sept. 5 to 7.

“It will be great to resume my golfing career on a course where I had my first golf lesson there as a six-year-old boy in 1994 as part of the ambitious Junior Development Program by the UAE’s apex golf body.

“I hope I can live up to expectations,” said the Sharjah native, who attended the David Leadbetter Academy in the United States in 2008 as part of the Shaikh Maktoum Golf Foundation scholarship.

“At the end of the day, it’s the score on your card that counts and not the local knowledge,” added Ahmed, who lauded the MENA Golf Tour for providing a springboard for the region’s players to graduate to the next level.


“With world ranking points on offer, I think more and more players from the Arab world would be encouraged to turn professional and contribute to the overall development of the game.

“Even in the UAE we have some very good golfers with a competitive passion for the game and I do hope they will think about making a career out of doing something they love,” said Ahmed, who is aiming to become the second Arab golfer after Ahmed Marjan of Morocco to win a MENA Golf Tour event.

An initiative of the Shaikh Maktoum Golf Foundation, the MENA Golf Tour was created in 2011 with the aim of developing golf in the region. It is affiliated to R&A, the worldwide golf governing body based in the home of golf, St. Andrews, and the Arab Golf Federation and enjoys the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) status.

Multiple European Tour starts, including the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, the Hassan II Trophy and the Maybank Championship Malaysia in addition to full playing privileges on the Sunshine Tour and exemptions into the Final Stage of the Asian Tour Q-School for the leading three professionals are some of the added incentives for the MENA Golf Tour members.