UAE's top golfer Skaik to play alongside major winners and Ryder Cup stars

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

The UAE’s top-ranked golfer Ahmad Skaik will compete at this year’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship having received the UAE National Amateur invite on behalf of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council.

Skaik will go head-to-head against a selection of the world’s best golfers at the first Rolex Series event of the 2021 Race to Dubai season, hosted at the iconic Abu Dhabi Golf Club from Jan.21-24.

The 23-year-old Emirati has gone from strength to strength following his European Tour debut at last year’s Championship, winning the 2020 UAE Presidents Cup in impressive style last February before clinching two Men’s Open titles to finish as runner-up in the EGF Order of Merit rankings.

As leading UAE National Amateur, Skaik also had the honour of hitting the first shot at the inaugural Golf in Dubai Championship presented by DP World in December 2020, where he put in a steady performance at his second European Tour event.

Skaik heads into next week’s tournament relishing the opportunity to play alongside Ryder Cup stars and Major champions Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas with renewed confidence following the hard work that has gone into his game over the last year.

“It is a privilege to receive the invitation to return to the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, said Skaik. “It was an incredible experience last year and a pivotal learning curve in my career. I can’t wait to go back and give my all alongside some of the best players in the world.

“It was great to get out at the Golf in Dubai Championships a few weeks ago, and it was a huge honour to hit the first tee shot on UAE National Day.

“I can take some vital lessons from those rounds into next week. Given it is the 50th anniversary of the UAE it is even more special to play in this tournament, and I’m determined to put in a performance to make my nation proud.”

Aref Al Awani, General Secretary of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, said: “We are delighted to welcome back Ahmad (Skaik) to the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. He is the shining star of Emirati golf and destined for great things in the future.

“Abu Dhabi has become one of the world’s leading destinations for sport and with ambassadors such as Ahmad we hope to continue to inspire future generations of sportsmen and women for years to come.”

First staged in 2006, the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship is hosted at the iconic Abu Dhabi Golf Club for the 16th consecutive year from Jan.21-24, 2021, with a prize fund of $8 million and 8,000 Race to Dubai points available.