The Gulf Club: All the latest news from the UAE golf scene and beyond for June 2022 as Josh Hill makes England team and Chiara Noja thrives

By Matt Smith

American flavour at EGC

George Clarke and Lyndon Smith

Emirates Golf Club hosted the Emirates US Open Championship with 76 golfers competing on the Faldo Course. The overall winners were George Clarke and Lyndon Smith with 46 points. Runner’s up were Anders Kron and Russell Yeomans with 44 points. In third place were Tauseef Khan and Shiba Wahid with 44 points.

EGF welcomes new faces

72 new National Team graduates at Emirates Golf Federation

Emirates Golf Federation was celebrating its latest National Team graduates, who passed their tests at Abu Dhabi Golf Club this week. There are 72 new additions who will now go on to the next part of their training on their journey in the world of golf.

Josh Hill in England squad

Josh Hill

Dubai’s Josh Hill has once again been chosen to represent England at the European Team Championships taking place at St Leon Rot Golf Club in Germany from July 5 to 9. The English boys team will be up against the finest youngsters from across the continent as 18 teams do battle for the Jean-Louis DuPont Trophy. Trump International’s Hill is 50th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings and will join Josh Berry (Doncaster), Frank Kennedy (Trump Jupiter), Dylan Shaw-Radford (Huddersfield), Harley Smith (Rayleigh) and Tyler Weaver (Bury St Edmunds) on the England team.

Chiara dominates after injury

Chiara Noja. Annie Krcmarova/ACLC

Dubai-based 16-year-old Chiara Noja showed once again why she is one of the hottest prospects for the future of women’s golf as she bounced back from a rib injury that forced her to miss the Aramco Team Series — London to finish T2 in Belgium and stretch her lead in the Ladies European Tour Access Series Order of Merit. Australia’s Kristalle Blum recorded her first victory on the series at the Golf Vlaanderen LETAS Trophy, one ahead of Noja, local star Sophie Bert and France’s Yvie Chaucheprat and Momoka Kobori from New Zealand. With her runner-up finish, Germany’s Noja continues to dominate the LETAS Order of Merit standings with 1,171.25 points while New Zealand’s Kobori moves to the second spot with 813.75 points.

EGF goes green at Al Zorah

Emirates Golf Federation players take part in tree-planting programme at Al Zorah Golf Club. EGF

Emirates Golf Federation celebrated World Environment Day with EGF golfers at Al Zorah Golf Club, with the players planting mangrove trees following a tournament. The 18-hole golf course, Nicklaus-designed course in Ajman is surrounded by natural lakes and mangroves.

New look in Muscat

Muscat Resorts

Muscat Hills, the first all-grass 18-hole golf course in Oman, is to reopen next year as Muscat Resorts under the management of Troon Golf. Muscat Hills previously opened in 2009 and closed in 2020, and is set for a new lease of life under the ownership of Ominvest, the largest investment company in Oman.

Monthly treat for Vishal

Vishal Tikku

EGC also held the Dubai Golf Monthly where Vishal Tikku claimed top honours in B Division (11-20) with a net 68 (BB9). In Division A (0-10), the winner was that man Russell Yeomans with a net 68. In Division C (21-28), Suresh Shewakramani was victorious with a net 73.

Young UAE star wins in Scotland

Abu Dhabi-based Maya Palanza Gaudin. Emirates Golf Federation

The conveyor belt of young UAE-based talent continues to roll as Abu Dhabi’s Maya Palanza Gaudin took the title at the US Kids European Championship (Girls, 12-years-old Category) at The Glen Golf Club, North Berwick, outside Edinburgh, Scotland. Born in Ethiopia, the 12-year-old, who has lived in the UAE capital with her parents and younger sister for 10 years, plays off a 2.7 handicap and was the 2021 Ladies champion at Yas Links Golf Club, Abu Dhabi.

Pairs bear fruit at JGE

Paul McMahon and Drew Foxcroft

Jumeirah Golf Estates hosted their Pairs tournament over the Fire Course with 80 golfers competing in a pairs scramble format. Drew Foxcroft and Paul McMahon won on a card playoff with a net 63 (9-under). Runner-ups were Jack Wanliss and Gary Williams. Third place went to Steve Drake and Sheila McIlroy.

Arabian Ranches heats up

Division 2 winner Salman Karim

In a busy June month, Arabian Ranches also hosted the latest qualifying Round for the UAE Emirates NBD Race to Malaysia ahead of the Emirates Golf Federation-sanctioned national final at Al Hamra Golf Club, Ras Al Khaimah on October 1. The next qualifier is at Al Zorah Golf Club in Ajman on September 18, before the final qualifier at Al Hamra Golf Club on September 25. At the final at Al Hamra, the winners of each of the five divisions will qualify to represent the UAE in the World Final in November in Malaysia.