Ahmad Al Musharrakh - An Emirati Golf Star On The Rise

Ahmad Al Musharrakh                      Image Credit: Grace Paras/ANM

He was recently referred to as "the Emirati answer to Tiger Woods", however, when we wrote about Ahmad Al Musharrakh in 2010,  he was getting ready for his first Abu Dhabi Championship appearance, and as he tells it, "still very inexperienced".

Now, two years later, as the 2012 Abu Dhabi Championship gets underway, the 21 year-old is the UAE's top ranked national players, and determined to make history.

Al Musharrekh, who secured an invitation to the tournament from Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, is confident he can become the first Emirati to make the cut at this event... and from there he aims to "move up the leaderboard and really compete" ...with what may well be the strongest field ever assembled for a Middle East tournament; a field that includes Abu Dhabi debutante, Tiger Woods, who Al Musharrekh lists as his favorite player.

With its many spectacular courses, the UAE is considered to be at the forefront of golf development in the Middle East and tourists from all over the world flock to the area's stellar courses, but the question of whether the local population is embracing the sport continues to be asked.  This puts additional pressure on Al Musharrekh.  A good showing at a high profile event like the Abu Dhabi Championship would undoubtedly inspire people from all over the Middle East and North Africa to try their hands at the game.  Those who currently play would be motivated to take their games to the next level.

Retief Goosen Wins Middle East Curtain-Raiser

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It's one of the most popular and prestigious Pro-Ams in golf... and the field this year certainly reflected that.

41 European Tour Champions, 11 Ryder Cup players, three Major Champions and the reigning World No.1 played in surprisingly undesert-like conditions today, at Yas Links Golf Club in the Emirates Airline Invitational, hosted by Abdullah Al Naboudah.

Yas Island Links Golf Course where the invitational took place for the first time this year, is the first links golf course in the Middle East.  Designed by Kyle Phillips who created The Kingsbarn Course at St. Andrews it no doubt evoked the images of the Scottish seaside today in overcast conditions uncharacteristic of Abu Dhabi.

Goosen's eight-under 64 win in the professional round today, coming at the start of the European Tour's Middle East Swing may help reignite the two-time US Open Champion's winning fire.

The tournament's hospitable host Abdullah Al Naboodah... a passionate and prodigious golfer himself... played with W#1 Lee Westwood today. The pair didn't manage to defend their 2010 team title this year however...  and the 2011 win went to Ross McGowan and former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan.  50% of all of today's winnings will go to charity.

Later this week the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship tees off at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, followed by the Volvo Golf Champions, in Bahrain, The Commercialbank Qatar Masters in Doha, Qatar, and the Omega Dubai Desert Classic in Dubai.  It's the The Middle East Swing, and the number of events, the elite fields and the spectacular courses are all evidence of how dramatically the region's golf profile has grown.

Photos: Emirates Airline Invitational, official site

HSBC Abu Dhabi Championship - Lessons with Rory

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Rory Mcilroy is known for his classic swing, jovial style and meteoric rise into golf's upper echelons.

The 21-year-old Ulsterman, whose impish looks belie a steely will, has already chalked up a victory on both the European and the PGA Tour, and was recently part of Europe's winning team at the 2010 Ryder Cup.

As we've been reminded so often of late, golf is a global game, and the talented Mr. Mcilroy, a seasoned world traveler who's strutted his impressive swing in dozens of countries... and on multiple continents... personifies this. He seems to fit in everywhere, and adapt quickly to the cultural nuances of new places.

Now it seems Rory's gone one step further. In anticipation of the upcoming HSBC Abu Dhabi Championship he appears to have been studying more than the desert greens and newly fortified bunkers of the National Course at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.

Rors, as he's affectionately known, has actually picked up some Arabic, and he demonstrates it in this video:



The clip is actually part of a contest taking place on the HSBC Abu Dhabi Championship facebook page: for a chance to win a pair of tickets to the 2011 championship you're invited to comment on the video, stating what you think Rory is saying and how you rate his Arabic skills. Some amusing reactions to the bi-lingual boy wonder have already been registered.

The tournament takes place from January 20th - 23rd. With the stellar field and awesome venue it promises to be ultra-exciting. There'll be lots of compelling content on the Facebook page too... so it's well worth liking.  You can also follow the tournament... and Rory... on Twitter.  Who knows, we may even see him tweeting in Arabic.

(Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images Europe - January 22, 2010)

(Video via the Abu Dhabi Championship Facebook page)

Bunker Boost at Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship

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When the world’s top golfers convene at Abu Dhabi Golf Club for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship next month, they'll be greeted by five unique new bunkers on The National Course.
      
The bunkers, which protect holes 2, 5, 6, 13 and 17,  feature the kind of steep faces and well-defined lips that will require players to adapt their games and "think long and hard about club selection.”

For the first time ever outside of the US, all four reigning Major champions will be in the field, along with six of the world’s top 10 players.   The event has taken place on The National Course at Abu Dhabi Golf Club for the past five years,  and a record number of spectators is anticipated at the 2011 sixth edition. ~ To that end the Championship Village has been enhanced and expanded and the spectator experience promises to be better than ever.

Abu Dhabi has become a top tourist destination, and now boasts three world-class, championship-ready golf facilities. In the past, US tourists have been scarce,  however figures recently compiled by "Conde Nast Traveler" magazine for their annual poll of readers indicate a rising number of Americans interested in travel to the Middle East. Tournaments like the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship may encourage these future travelers to see the golf possibilities in the area.