The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Olympic Committee and the Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) have officially announced that Adrian Otaegui will represent the UAE as a professional golfer.

Otaegui, who has made the UAE his home for the past 13 years, moved to the country at the age of 19. Since 2019, Otaegui has been an ambassador for the Emirates Golf Federation, supporting the UAE National Golf Team, having played a key role in national training programmes and has been involved with the UAE Determined Golfers Programme, launched at the DP World Tour Championship in November 2021.

Otaegui’s amateur career includes notable victories such as the 2010 British Boys Championship and the Spanish Amateur Championship in 2010, 2011, and 2018. He also won the 2010 Open de Paris, a professional event, during his amateur years.

Adrian Otaegui wins at Valderrama. Ross Kinnaird

Since turning professional, he has accumulated five DP World Tour victories, including the 2017 Paul Lawrie Match Play in Germany, the 2018 Belgian Open, the 2020 Scottish Championship, the 2022 Andalucía Valderrama Masters, and most recently, the 2024 Volvo China Open.

On representing the UAE, Otaegui said, “The UAE is my home, and I love its culture and innovation over the last 50 years. My motivation is to represent the UAE on the world stage and aim for an Olympic medal for this incredible country.

“I also believe that young Emirati golfers need role models to inspire them to improve, and I am excited to help develop the game here and work with the Emirates Golf Federation to create an elite programme for future champions.”

General Abdullah Alhashmi, Vice Chairman of the Emirates Golf Federation, commented, “This is a fantastic achievement, not only for Adrian but for UAE golf as a whole. We will continue to strive for excellence on the global stage.

“Adrian has been a tremendous ambassador for UAE golf, and his integrity both on and off the course sets an example for our programmes and national players. We wish Adrian, his family, and his team continued success, and we look forward to many more milestones in the future.”

Otaegui’s first event back on the DP World Tour, following a 34th-place finish in the 2023-2024 Race to Dubai Rankings, will be the Nedbank Challenge in South Africa, from 5-8 December 2024.

Main Image: Emirates Golf Federation