Dubai is an exciting addition to the U.S. Kids Golf Foundation’s impressive stable of International events

By Kent Gray
The Middle East’s burgeoning Junior Masters Open Tour has received a significant boost with the  U.S. Kids Golf Foundation adding Dubai to its international schedule.

The U.S. Kids Dubai Open, to be played in April, is set to attract players from across the region and offers the opportunity to earn ‘Priority Status’, which is necessary to qualify for the  U.S. Kids World Championship. Held each July at Pinehurst, more than 2000 players from around the world compete at the world event.

The Dubai Open will be played over two days and will be open to boys and girls aged six to 18 years old, all playing from different yardages appropriate to their age group divisions.

U.S Kids Golf hosts more than 1600 tournaments in 60 countries annually, enabling juniors to learn to compete at local level with the lure of qualifying for international events.

Dubai joins the American company’s calendar of international events in Scotland, Australia, Canada, England, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Panama, India and South Africa.

“We are so proud about this cooperation with the biggest golf body for kids in the world,” said Abedallah Shana’ah, Managing Director of Golf Events Management, owners of the Junior Masters Open Tour.

“To bring them to our region will take junior golf to a new era, we are also very happy to bring to Dubai the biggest and the best golf experiences ….the Dubai Open will be one of the major tournaments for juniors and will qualify the juniors for other big U.S. Kids tournaments all over the world”.

U.S. Kids spokeswoman Lola Geerts, responsible for tournament development in Europe, Africa and United Arab Emirates, is equally enthusiastic.

“The Dubai Open will be the first U.S. Kids Golf International Tournament in the United Arab Emirates and the region and will attract many players from all over the World. It will be a yearly appointment and will be the pinnacle event of U.S. Kids Golf in this part of the world.”

U.S. Kids Golf was formed in 1996 as a solution to the problem its founder, Dan Van Horn, experienced when trying to get his children, then 5 and 8, into golf. The former golf professional and engineer began developing Ultralight kids clubs, which were designed to be 25 per cent lighter than adult and most junior clubs. In 2000, U.S. Kids added two new initiatives to help juniors on the journey to a lifetime in golf: Tournaments and Play & Learn.

“The vision of families spending time together outdoors and playing golf is  U.S. Kids Golf’s true passion, and many people throughout the golf industry have joined in the effort of giving kids and families the lifelong game of golf,” U.S. Kids said in a statement.

“This competition will offer the best young golfers in the region a chance to compete against their counterparts from across the world, and we will market this event in the entire region and the world to become one of the biggest anywhere,” Ali Kalbat, of Golf Events Management, continued.

Dean Cheesley, CEO of eGolf Megastore, the Middle East distributor for U.S. Kids Golf, has welcomed the development.

“After so many years it’s a sheer delight to finally have the U.S. Kids Golf Junior Tour arrive to the Middle East. U.S. Kids Golf tournaments have been the starting ground for so many of today’s top players on the LPGA and PGA Tours and the arrival of the world junior qualifiers to the region can only assist junior golf development in the Middle East.

“The events are well structured, professionally run and most importantly for the juniors, a lot of fun”.