UAE Finishes 65th at 2016 WATC – Eisenhower Trophy; Australia Wins By 19 Strokes

(Riviera Maya, Mexico) – On September 21^st – 24^th, 2016 the United Arab Emirates (UAE) National Golf Team competed in the 30^th World Amateur Team Championship (WATC) – Eisenhower Trophy. The 2016 WATC – Eisenhower Trophy took place in Riviera Maya, Mexico at the Mayakoba El Camaleon Golf Club and Iberostar Playa Paraiso Golf Club.

The WATC is the most prestigious Amateur Golf Championship in the world. The format of the WATC is as follows – Each team has two or three players play four rounds, of 18 holes, of stroke play. In each round, the total of two lowest scores from each team creates the team score for that round. The four-day (72-hole) total is the team’s score for the championship.

With over 70 teams represented, this was one of the largest fields in the WATC – Eisenhower Trophy’s history. Representing the UAE National Golf Team was Ahmed Skaik, Rashid Hamood, and Saif Thabet. The UAE National Golf Team finished in 65^th Place.

Playing in his first WATC – Eisenhower Trophy and leading the UAE National Golf Team was Saif Thabet. Thabet shot rounds of 86-78-80-78 for a championship total of 322, 36-over-par. Thabet placed tied for 174^h in the Individual Category.

Finishing two stokes behind Thabet was UAE youngster Ahmad Skaik. After a good start shooting a 78 on the Mayakoba El Camaleon Golf Course, Skaik’s last three rounds were 82-81-83 for a total of 324, 38-over-par. Skaik finished tied for 182^nd in the Individual Category.

Rashid Hamood, the Assistant Golf Experience Manager at the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club, had a hard time finding consistency all championship with rounds of 80-89-81-88 for a total of 338, 52-over-par. Rashid finished in 195^th in the Individual Category.

The UAE National Golf Team will be looking to build on these results in the near future. With a number of regional championships and the UAE golf season around the corner the National Teams are expected to play a lot of completive golf.

Winning the 2016 WATC – Eisenhower Trophy was Australia. Australia had a very impressive championship finishing 19 strokes better than the Second Place team. This was Australia’s 4^th time winning the WATC – Eisenhower Trophy finishing 38-under-par. Australia also had the 1^st and 2^nd Place winners in the individual category with scores of 17-under-par and 15-under-par for the four rounds. England placed second and Austria and Ireland finished tied for Third Place.

UAE National Golf Team Coach, Greg Holmes had this to say after the event. “Every year the standard and competition level of golf at this event continues to get better. The more our players play and experience golf like this, the more the players can see how much work is needed to reach the top of their game”.

The UAE Team was also accompanied by, Khalid Mubarak Al Shamsi, Emirates Golf Federation Secretary General, and UAE National Team Manager. “The WATC – Eisenhower Trophy is always an honor to compete in. The UAE National Teams will now focus on upcoming regional events in the GGC Golf Championships and Arab Golf Championships”, said Khalid Mubarak Al Shamsi.

The UAE National Senior Golf Team will be back in action on November 7^th – 13^th, 2016 the Arab Golf Championship in Oman. Before this event, the Nationals Ladies, 18 & Under, and 15 & Under Golf Teams will be in action on October 17^th – 22^nd, 2016 in Egypt.

To see the full results from the 2016 World Amateur Team Championship (WATC) – Eisenhower Trophy please visit the International Golf Federation website at www.igfgolf.org