Amateurs V Pros – Our Very Own 'Ryder Cup'

It’s that time of year again as both the UAE amateur and professional order of merits are coming to a close and players on both sides of the rope are scrambling to get into the top 16 placings.

The Dubai Golf Trophy was the brainchild of Rodney Bogg (managing director of Dubai Golf) and Peter Downie (former Director of Golf at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club) and began in 2000.

The event was created to add an element of spice to the end of the golf season and to bring the top amateur and professional golfers in the country to play a friendly, but
competitive, match.

It has since developed into the most anticipated and enjoyable event in the calendar.

Each team has 16 players, all qualifying through their respective order of merits.

The trophy is competed for over two days, with teams on day one playing foursomes then fourball matchplay, followed by singles on day two.

What makes the event unique is that all matches are played off scratch – in other words, the amateurs are professionals for the day. In the early years, the professionals romped home.

However, as the event established itself and the standard of amateur golf improved tremendously, the tide threatened to change.

In 2005 the amateur team, led by Alex Charwani achieved what they had been so close to doing the previous two years and edged out the pros by 17 points to 15.

As a part of that losing side and being around the players over the two days, I can certainly say that it goes down as one of the most memorable golfing experiences in my life.

The camaraderie of the teams and the genuine sportsmanship was something to behold. Andrew Whitelaw (or Whitewash as he was affectionately known from the previous year – sorry, I can’t say more!), holds the unfortunate position of being the only losing captain of the pros team.

However, he can take pride in knowing that it will go down in the history of UAE golf for all the right reasons.

The Dubai Golf Trophy has now created its own legacy and is a fundamental part of the development of UAE golf.

It’s an event that players continue to talk about, that players aspire to be a part of and it’s a main driver (pardon the pun) in the motivation of both the amateurs and the professionals, to play well and to succeed. Watch this space for more to come!

Tip Of The Week

“Every golfer, no matter what standard, needs to set achievable goals to help develop their game. It will help keep you focused and motivated and certainly moving in the right direction. Set a goal for yourself and aspire to achieve it – who knows, it may be you competing in the Dubai Golf Trophy next year.”