Ahmad Skaik talks exclusively to Rick Bevan following his historic performance on the HotelPlanner Tour which saw him become the first ever Emirati to make the cut in a European Tour group event at the UAE Challenge.
Ahmad Skaik has been making headlines in the UAE since he was a teenager. Flying the flag as the great hope of Emirati golf is no easy feat, and the 27-year-old has had an unnatural amount of pressure to deal with as he’s made his journey through the golfing ranks. Because it’s not just about him. Every success he has on the course is a win for UAE golf — and that burden has occasionally weighed him down in years gone by.
But 2025 has felt different. A noticeable sea change has been in the air.
It started at the GCC Championships at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in Saudi Arabia. As part of the gold-medal-winning UAE team, Skaik strung together four phenomenal rounds of 67-69-66-68 to reach 18-under-par, the lowest score in the history of the tournament. It was a feat that even he was taken aback by. His previous personal best in a tournament was six-under and his record score saw him race to the individual title a staggering 15 shots ahead of the silver medallist.
Making The Grade
“Yeah, of course I surprised myself,” says Skaik whose previous achievements included setting the record for the lowest round in a DP World Tour event by an Emirati with a 68 at the 2021 AVIV Dubai Championship and becoming just the second UAE National ever to make the cut at the 2021 Asia Pacific Amateur Championship. “I was five-under on day one, then shot three-under on day two, so I got to eight-under. I thought, ‘Let me try to get to double digits — that would be a great achievement.’ Then I shot six-under on day three, started birdie-birdie-birdie in the final round, and ended up at 18-under. I was even thinking of 20-under at one point.”
That confidence flowed straight into the UAE Challenge at Al Zorah Golf & Yacht Club on the HotelPlanner Tour — the DP World Tour’s feeder circuit where some of the most promising players in world golf ply their trade. Teeing it up as one of 30 invites from the Emirates Golf Federation (EGF), Skaik made more history, producing a birdie-birdie-eagle finish to his second round to become the first Emirati to ever make the cut at a European Tour group event.
“It was a week filled with ups and downs,” he says. “I was five over through 12 on day one, then made four birdies in the last five holes to finish one over. Then on day two, nothing was really happening until the last few holes — birdie, birdie, eagle to make the cut. Everyone was happy and proud.”
It wasn’t all plain sailing, though. Skaik endured a freak equipment issue when his driver broke midway through his third round.
“After nine holes my driver face cracked,” he says. “I had to use my three-wood for the rest of the round and then use a completely different driver the next day, which I’d never used before. I didn’t know what it was going to do. With my usual driver, I know it’s going to fade, but this one… some were drawing, some were fading. I was hitting every bunker! But I love challenges. I like being uncomfortable. That’s how you grow.”
Right Mindset
It’s a mindset he’s honed over the past year. Following a tough injury spell and a dip in confidence, Skaik took a step back from big events to rebuild his game and belief.
“When I first came back, I had no self-belief at all,” he says. “I’d hit the ball great in practice, then go into a tournament and not trust myself. And if you don’t trust yourself, you can’t play golf. So now, I just keep telling myself I’m the best—even if I’m not on paper. But in my mind, I tell myself I am.”
That mental transformation has been pivotal – and it’s come without the support of a dedicated sports psychologist, although Skaik says he’s considering it. “I might look into it,” he says. “Anything that gives me that extra one percent is worth doing.”
A key pillar of his recent progress has been the Emirates Golf Federation’s strategic alliance with the European Tour group, which has opened doors for players like Skaik to test themselves on a bigger stage.
“It’s amazing — to get invites here and abroad, and see other UAE players doing the same,” he says. “It helps us all get better. Hopefully, we can start earning more DP World Tour spots through these opportunities on the HotelPlanner Tour.”
It’s clear Skaik doesn’t just want to be a pioneer for Emirati golf — he wants to be a presence on the world stage. “I wouldn’t say it’s destiny,” he says. “I just practice and do the best I can, and I depend on God — whether it’s good or bad moments. The goal is always to get better. It’s a dream for me to play on the DP World Tour… and maybe even the PGA Tour.”
Asked whether he truly believes he can get there, his answer was simple and confidently delivered: “Yeah, I do.”
Heavy is the head that wears the crown — but it looks like Ahmad Skaik is starting to enjoy the weight.
