Ahmad Skaik and Ahmed Al Musharekh lead the home challenge at the Abu Dhabi Challenge, the final chance to qualify for the HotelPlanner Tour’s season-ending events
Ahmad Skaik made history in 2025 as the first Emirati to make the cut in a European Tour Group event. Next week he returns to Al Ain as a professional, leading the home challenge at the Abu Dhabi Challenge alongside compatriot Ahmed Al Musharekh.
The HotelPlanner Tour event runs from September 30 to October 3 at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club in the United Arab Emirates, staged in partnership with the Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) and supported by Abu Dhabi Sports Council.
Final chance to qualify
The stakes are high. The Abu Dhabi Challenge is the last event before the HotelPlanner Tour’s two season-ending tournaments in China, and only the top 68 players on the Road to Mallorca Rankings after the final round will advance.
Current Road to Mallorca Number One Christofer Blomstrand heads a field that also includes 2016 European Ryder Cup player Chris Wood, David Horsey, Adri Arnaus, Dominic Foos and Craig Howie, who will be playing at his home club.
Skaik’s rise
Few players know the Al Ain course better than Skaik. He has played the Abu Dhabi Challenge in each of the last two years, as well as the inaugural UAE Cup at the same venue in October 2024.
His breakthrough came at the 2025 UAE Challenge at Al Zorah Golf & Yacht Club, where he became the first Emirati to make a European Tour Group cut. That year he also won individual and team gold for the UAE at the GCC Golf Championship, setting a championship record of 18-under-par 270, before turning professional in November at the MENA Golf Tour season opener in Portugal.
“It feels amazing to be going back to play in Al Ain again – it’s like a big event at home,” said Skaik. “I played last year and was close to the cut, so this year I want to do better.”
Opening doors abroad
Both Emiratis will take up places allocated to the EGF, which receives 30 spots in the field. Some go to home players, and the rest can be exchanged with other national federations, giving UAE golfers starts in HotelPlanner Tour events around the world.
Skaik has been one of the main beneficiaries, and says the experience has been invaluable.
“Every course in Europe is different – the type of grass, the weather conditions,” he said. “Most of the courses are very tight, so it’s good for us to challenge ourselves in those conditions.
“I did well in some and not so well in others. But the big part is I realised what I need to work on and what I need to improve to be able to compete with these guys.”
Al Musharekh eyes the weekend
Al Musharekh, who last played the event in 2024, returns after a long break with a clear target.
“It’s my first tournament this year and the break has made me miss playing even more,” he said. “My first goal is to make the cut, and then get the best finish I can after that.
“You’ve got to have everything all round, in terms of length, approaches and around the greens.”
For Skaik, the pair’s presence reflects a wider shift in the Emirati game.
“The level here is growing,” he said. “We have many players who are really good or getting better. It’s happening quicker than in the past few years.”
