File Photo courtesy Emirates Golf Federation
2018-19 EGF OOM Champions

By Kent Gray
After shutting down the professional game globally almost overnight, the coronavirus pandemic is now starting to impact golf at the club level across the UAE.

The Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) on Monday announced the postponement of its season-ending EGF Order of Merit (OOM) Championship at Al AIn Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club next month. The 54-hole event, which carries official World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) points, was scheduled for April 9-11 and the EGF hope it can be rescheduled later this year.

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The EGF has also advised clubs, on the directive of the UAE’s General Authority of Sports, to postpone the remaining regular-season EGF OOM events; ladies tournaments at The Els Club Dubai (March 20) and Jumeirah Golf Estates (March 21) have postponement notices on the EGF website already while men’s opens at Yas Links Abu Dhabi (March 20-21) and Al Ain are likely to follow suit. With the General Authority of Sports prohibiting golf for under 18s UAE wide, the Dubai Creek Junior Open on March 27 has also been postponed indefinitely.

Club events and casual rounds for golfers over 18 continue but Golf Digest Middle East has learned clubs have been tasked with regular sterilising of carts, locker rooms, wellness areas and sporting/gym equipment. Given the global move towards social distancing, more restrictions seem inevitable.

The EGF decision comes hot on the heels of the postponement of this week’s scheduled Aramco Saudi Ladies International due to the temporary ban on international flights into the Kingdom. As early as March 5, the Middle East’s tightening travel restrictions prompted the MENA Tour to delay the second half of the regional men’s Pro-Am development circuit until Sept.-Dec. 

The EGF is working in tandem with the General Authority of Sports as the UAE ramps up efforts to halt the spread of COVID-19.

“It’s always a tough decision to postpone an event and especially an event that gives players of all ages and genders the opportunity to collect World Amatur Golf Ranking points and showcase their achievements throughout the golf season,” the EGF said in a statement.

“With the ongoing precautionary measures for the CoVid-19 virus, we feel that it is best to postpone the event for all players health and safety. We hope that in due time, things will get back to normal and we can finish the 2019 – 2020 golf season on a positive note.”

This is a breaking story. More to follow…