Shawn Welgemoed (right) with Golf Digest Middle East publisher David Burke. (Photos Masam Ali/Motivate Publishing)

By Kent Gray
Shawn Welgemoed freely admits his golf year started off pretty lousy. The opening to 2019 is guaranteed to be a whole lot better regardless of how he’s swinging it.

The Jiggers Golf Society 13-handicapper will tee it up in January’s Omega Dubai Desert Classic Pro-Am after winning division B (11-24 handicaps) of the 11th Golf Digest Middle East Classic at Emirates Golf Club.

Welgemoed signed for 36 stableford points to edge Kiwi Rick McIntyre by two for the dream return to the Majlis course at Emirates G.C. for the 30th anniversary edition of the European Tour event.

“So chuffed with that round and the prize. My golf has been so awful earlier this year but thankfully seems to be clicking at the right time,” Welgemoed said.

It certainly has. Welgemoed qualified for the Golf Digest Classic, again proudly presented by King’s College Hospital London and AutoRoute, by winning the first of two qualifying events in Abu Dhabi.

RELATED: Welgemoed wins first Golf Digest Middle East Classic qualifier at Saadiyat Beach G.C.

“Winning the B division and an invite to play in the Dubai Desert Classic Pro-Am with the world’s best players is unreal, something most amateurs can only dream of,” Welgemoed said after a  brilliant finish to his round when he birdied his final hole, the par 3 4th, for four stableford points.

“I have played one previous Pro-Am before in 2007 and played with Alexander Balicki. We were paired with club and teaching pros in the Peugeot International Pro-Am in Paris but it doesn’t come close to be able to tee it up in the Desert Classic.“

Yana Jamieson (pictured below), meanwhile, will play in the rejigged Omega Dubai Moonlight (formerly Ladies) Classic after winning the ladies competition with 31 stableford points on Tuesday.

Stephen Scott captured division A (0-10 handicaps) and a start in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship Pro-Am with 37 points, three clear of Raymond Lucas. Scott also won a pair of season passes to the Desert Classic courtesy of winning the longest drive on the Majlis’ par-5 3rd hole – impressively his first of the day in the shotgun format.

“I was surprised that my drive lasted the full day as it was my first hole and there were some very good players in the field and I was sure that one of them would win it,” Scott said.

Shahin Khodjasteh won the nearest the pin prize – also a pair of Desert Classic season passes – with a very tidy tee shot on the Majlis’ 15th hole.

Al Ain’s Tom Buchanan, The Els Club’s Franco Botha, division A champion Stephen Scott and Yas Links boss Howie Roberts.