“Nobody knows this course as well as I do,”admits Sebastian Heisele modestly after growing up in Dubai and being a member of Emirates Golf Club. “Whether that’s going to help me or not this week, we will have to wait and see but I have lots of memories here!”
It’s been an unforgettable fortnight for the towering 6’6 German. He made his first cut in a Rolex Series event last week on course to finishing tied-21st in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. Then when on his way to the airport to go home from the UAE capital back to Germany, he found out the news that he’s receiving the final sponsor’s invite for the OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic.
“I’m overly excited to finally get to play in my home event. It’s nice to come full circle in my career. I’ve gone from marshalling, to caddying and now playing in this prestigious event.”
The 31 year old first started taking golf seriously at at Nad Al Sheba, a course that has since made way for Meydan, before switching to the other end of town to Emirates Golf Club, where the action will take place this week.
He left the city in 2005 to attend college in the United States, and has since been hopping between the Challenge Tour and European Tour but he still has lots of peers in Dubai so he should have great support around the Majlis.
“I’ve got heaps of friends from school that are still around in Dubai that will hopefully come down to watch and I will see the odd familiar face like the guys that work on the range here and in the club so it should be a great tournament.”
Heisele has played the Majlis hundreds of times but is surprised by how well the course is looking this week.
“The Majlis is the lushest I’ve seen it in terms of thick rough and the quality of the fairways and greens. The greens have always been somewhat firm but they’re very firm and quick this week so I’m excited to take it on.”
After all his years of hard work and perseverance, it would be fantastic for the local golf scene to see Heisele do well in his ‘home event’ but there’s no doubt he will treasure the experience for a lifetime.
