AR
By Kent Gray
Ahmad Skaik couldn’t quite grab a little piece of Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship history and sadly can’t seem to shake the pain in his neck but has at least held on to the dream of teeing it up at Augusta National and in the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews next year.
It was quite the day for the UAE No.1 at Dubai Creek Yacht & Golf Club on Wednesday, a two-under 69 leaving the Emirati just two strokes off the lead at an event promising invites to the 2022 Masters and Open Championship for the eventual champion come Saturday evening.
A watery bogey on the Creek’s notoriously challenging final hole left a slightly sour taste. It led to a bogey five and cost the southpaw the chance of tying Ahmed Al Musharrekh (three-under, second round of the 2011 ACC) for the lowest score to par by a UAE player at the Asia-Pacific Amateur.
But Skaik couldn’t complain, not after revealing a neck injury has blighted his build-up to the prestigious event created by the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation in 2009 and sanctioned by the R&A and partnered by the Masters Tournament.
“I have been practicing with my injury. Lots of painkillers and massages,” said Skaik who had the honour of hitting the event’s opening shot early on Wednesday.
“The last six months have been terrible with injuries. It started with a wrist injury followed by left knee and now the neck. I’ve probably played and practiced … 10 days in these six months.”
Photo: ACC
All of which made his 69 even more impressive.
“I am happy with the round. It’s a shame I finished with a bogey but I felt in control of my game throughout
“I had a couple of good birdie chances in the first five holes but did not make them, and a couple coming in which I could not convert either.”
The trick now is to consolidate the solid start in Thursday’s second round. Intimate course knowledge makes that easier but that is perhaps now balanced out by heightened hometown anticipation.
“I felt pretty good with my game off the tee, my irons and putting, and two-under is pretty good for me. I was trying to stay patient the whole round. You can’t force the putts in, so I was just trying to hit closer and closer and try to make the putts and hopefully tomorrow they roll in more,” Skaik said.
“Obviously, it’s much better when you stand on the tee knowing exactly where you’re going to hit it. You stand on a par 3 and know what you’re going to hit which is obviously an advantage.”
