UAE AMATEURS IN SEARCH OF A COVETED ‘GOLDEN BALL’ AHEAD OF RAS AL KHAIMAH 2017 GOLF CHALLENGE

Amateur golfers across the UAE are hoping to get their hands on a coveted ‘Golden Ball’ which will grant them entry to the Pro-Am for the Ras Al Khaimah 2017 Golf Challenge, taking place at Al Hamra Golf Club from October 25-28.

All 22 clubs in the country have been invited to stage a qualifying event for the 2017 Golden Ball series which will see players battling it out to win a much sought after spot in the Grand Final set to take place at Al Hamra Golf Club in Ras Al Khaimah on Thursday October 5, 2017.

TOP THREE FINISHERS

The top three finishers at the Grand Final will then be treated to a unique experience by competing alongside the stars of the European Challenge Tour in the Ras Al Khaimah 2017 Golf Challenge Pro-Am, back at Al Hamra GC on Tuesday October 24.

“The Golden Ball Series is a wonderful initiative giving local golfers in the region a once in a lifetime opportunity of rubbing shoulders with the next generation of professional golf stars on the European Challenge Tour” – Haitham Mattar, CEO Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority.

“As the penultimate event on the Challenge Tour calendar the RAK Golf Challenge is a pivotal tournament for players as they bid to end the season in the top 15 on the Road to Oman Rankings and gain promotion to the European Tour.

“The amateurs who make it through the Golden Ball qualifying series and win a spot in the RAK 2017 Golf Challenge Pro-Am will enjoy an unforgettable experience playing alongside some of the best players in the game in a fun yet competitive environment.

“The championship course located in the idyllic lifestyle village of Al Hamra will take them around natural lagoons in a stunning setting – allowing them to get a feel for the natural beauty of Ras Al Khaimah. We wish all of  the competitors the best of luckand look forward to welcoming them to what is sure to be a fantastic tournament in October.”

JORDAN SMITH

Running at the spectacular Al Hamra Golf Club from October 25-28, this year’s Ras Al Khaimah Golf Challenge, the northern emirate’s largest ever international sporting event, will feature a 105-strong field of leading European Challenge Tour talents mixed with a sprinkling of local qualifiers and sponsors invites.

Having stormed to victory in the inaugural Ras Al Khaimah 2016 Golf Challenge en route to securing his first European Tour card for the 2017 season, England’s Jordan Smith said:

“I obviously have only good memories of the event because I won it but it was a great week – I loved everything about it. The course was awesome, really nice but tricky in places. It’s quite wide and open which is nice but there are also lots of water hazards; you’ve also got the last hole running along the water which added to the pressure going down the last. It was a new event on the calendar but everyone really enjoyed it. It’s so convenient from Dubai but we stayed in Ras Al Khaimah near the course, right on the beach and it was beautiful. It was a great place to be and a great week for me.”

The Challenge Tour’s tagline is ‘where heroes are made’ and rightly so. Among its former members are Major champions Henrik Stenson, Martin Kaymer, Brooks Koepka, Justin Rose, Louis Oosthuizen, Trevor Immelman and Michael Campbell. The 2018 European Ryder Cup Captain Thomas Bjorn also cut his teeth on the Challenge Tour as did such luminaries as 2016 DP World Tour Championship winner Matthew Fitzpatrick, 2012 Omega Dubai Desert Classic champion Rafa Cabrera Bello not to mention the likes of Ian Poulter, Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnson, Branden Grace, Byeong Hun An, Thomas Pieters, Brandon Stone and Thomas Detry.

The 2017 Golden Ball series gives amateur golfers the chance to play alongside the history makers of the future.

Below is the list of the different Golden Ball events that will be occurring around the UAE over the next couple of months:

 

Look out for information about the Golden Ball series at your golf club.

 

Qualifier Venue Event Date Winner
1 Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club 05 August 2017 Abhinava Chandra
2 Al Zorah Golf Club 18 August 2017 Ove Pederson
3 Jumeirah Golf Estates 19 August 2017 Arjun Singh
4 Saadiyat Beach Golf Club 25 August 2017 Blanca Rivollier
5 Arabian Ranches Golf Club – Ladies  

01 September 2017

 

Heather Totten
6 Arabian Ranches Golf Club – Mens 01 September 2017 Ron Murphy
7 Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club 01 September 2017 Sunny Ramadas
8 Tower Links Golf Club  

02 September 2017

 

Michelle Lim
9 Yas Links 08 September 2017 Simon Tyldsley
10 JA Jebel Ali Golf Resort 08 September 2017

 

Ross Hassard
11 Sharjah Wanderers Golf Club  

15 September 2017

 

 Andy Hatcher
12 Trump International Golf Club, Dubai 15 September 2017  Steve Thomas
13 The Els Club 15 September 2017  Craig Pennington
14 Emirates Golf Club – Ladies 18 September 2017  Sandra Chia
15 Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club 22 September 2017  Stuart Bell
16 Emirates Golf Club – Men  

22 September 2017

 

17 Abu Dhabi City Golf Club 22 September 2017 Ian Miller
18 Al Hamra Golf Club 29 September 2017
19 The Address Montgomerie Dubai 29 September 2017
20 Abu Dhabi Golf Club 30 September 2017
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