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United They Stand
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THE UAE’S YOUSUF, SKAIK AND AL MUSHARREKH PREPARE FOR A HECTIC AUTUMN SCHEDULE
BY MATT SMITH
With the brutal uae summer mostly behind us now, things are only beginning to heat up for the main men of the UAE National Team.
A hectic schedule awaits Khalid Yousuf, Ahmad Skaik and Abdullah Al Musharrekh — along with the rest of the UAE team — as the threesome get back in the swing following the hot summer months.
They begin their autumn/winter campaign with the World Men’s Amateur Team Championships — affectionately known as the Eisenhower Trophy — where they will compete against the world’s best amateurs in Paris at the beginning of September. The event is returning following a three-year COVID-19-enforced hiatus and will be a perfect stage for the UAE amateurs to fight it out before the event heads to Dubai’s Jumeirah Golf Estates next year.
TRIPLE THREAT Khalid Yousuf, Ahmad Skaik and Abdullah Al Musharrekh of the UAE National Team
Regarded as one of the biggest amateur competitions in the world — recent champions include Denmark’s Hojgaard twins, Americans Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas, plus Netherlands’ Joost Luiten — the biennial match-play event takes place over four days with the two lowest scores from each team counting for each round. Le Golf National, the scene of the 2018 Ryder Cup, and Golf de Saint-Nom-La-Breteche are the courses for this year’s competition.
Following hot on the heels of the trip to Paris are the Pan Arab Championships in Tunisia, the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championships in Thailand, and the Nomura Cup in the Philippines — and the UAE boys are raring to go, despite less-than-ideal preparations for Skaik in particular.
“To be completely honest, I am recovering from injuries, so my preparation wasn’t great,” the
World Amateur No. 61 told Golf Digest Middle East following a team trip to Paris for practice at Le Golf National, and surgery on an ingrown toenail, and ahead of UAE team training in Morocco.
“Hopefully the camp in Morocco gets me ready for it. I feel a lot better and am looking forward to playing in France. We have already been over to France and played Le National but didn’t get to play the other course yet. The course is very nice and has some tough holes which will make it fun and challenging. I like the course and I think that it suits my game well.”
With these trips to France and Morocco, the UAE team are forming a strong bond, something Yousuf sees as key to success.
“The team is looking good,” the 33-year-old said. “We are all putting the practice in and we have become good friends. Despite sometimes competing against each other, there are no rivalries whatsoever between us.
“The big events that are coming up over the next few months are great as you get to test your game against the best amateurs in the world. You get to meet the future stars of the game and create friendships, both within out own team and with others.”
Skaik concurs, while still enjoying a friendly tussle with Yousuf and Al Musharrekh. “We are all good buddies but we like to have competitive matches between us which is always fun to do,” he laughed.
“Team events are very important and the more events I play like these the better it will be for my game because it will help me grow as a player and will help grow my character.”
This is a pertinent factor for Skaik, who has recently graduated university and is considering his next steps in his golfing career.
“I plan to play as many events as possible in the next year and, if all goes to plan, turn pro after the Eisenhower in Dubai in 2023,” he said.
Yousuf, meanwhile, is content to use his experience to help out the others coming through the ranks in the UAE, where he has been active for more than two decades.
“I’m 33 now,” he said “I’m happy to be playing for the National Team and representing the UAE as I have done since I was 11 years old. I don’t see that changing any time soon as I am quite content with where I am.”
Yousuf has been around long enough to see the steady growth of talented golfers in the UAE over the years — with the likes of Skaik in the UAE team and also with expats such as Toby Bishop and Josh Hill, who are both heading to the States on golf scholarships this autumn following their time growing up and learning the game in Dubai.
“We hope the juniors can surpass what we have achieved and take our place as the core of the national team in the future,” Yousuf explained. “The Emirates Golf Federation is constantly growing and becoming a more important body in the golf scene, both locally and internationally.
“As for Toby and Josh, I have seen them grow from boys into young men first hand. I am always looking out to see how they are doing and I want to be first to wish them all the best in their careers.”
As Skaik himself plans for his foray into professional golf, he too has high hopes for those following in his footsteps.
“I see lots of players coming up, which is great as this means the game is still continuing to grow,” he said. “I will try my best to lead the way for the Emiratis coming up, and also the next Josh or Toby.”
With so many talented young golfers following the trio’s progress over the coming months, there will certainly be more stars representing the UAE for years to come.
ABOVE: Ahmad Skaik is planning to turn pro after the 2023 Eisenhower Trophy BELOW: Khalid Yousuf has been part of the UAE set-up since he was 11 years old
