Dubai-based Alison to play in 2020 Omega Dubai Moonlight Classic

Dubai - Alison had a strong local UAE amateur record, winning EGC and EGF Championships and Orders of Merits on numerous occasions.

By Fairway Views

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Alison Muirhead said she was delighted and very grateful to receive the invite from Falcon. — Supplied photo

Published: Tue 27 Oct 2020, 6:51 PM

Last updated: Tue 27 Oct 2020, 6:54 PM

Last week, just after her 22nd birthday, Dubai-based Alison Muirhead received an invite that dropped in her email account from tournament promoters Falcon & Associates to play in the 2020 Omega Dubai Moonlight Classic to be held on the Faldo Course at Emirates Golf Club (EGC) next week from November 4 to 6.

Alison, born in Johannesburg of Scottish and English parents, Robert and Gillian Muirhead, moved to Dubai in 2006, with Robert’s job in shipping, along with Alison’s two older sisters and into a villa to the right of the 11th hole on the Majlis Course at EGC which remains their family home to this day.

Alison was schooled in Dubai at GEMS Wellington International School (Years 2 – 10) and Dubai English Speaking School (Years 11 – 12).

Gillian initially had some individual lessons with Mark Gregson-Walters at EGC and Alison soon followed and took up the game of golf in a similar fashion, again with Gregson-Walters.

From these humble beginnings, Alison thrived under Mark, and with her handicap tumbling she followed him, when he moved to the Peter Cowen Academy at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

Alison had a strong local UAE amateur record, winning EGC and EGF Championships and Orders of Merits on numerous occasions.

Mark’s brother Alan Gregson-Walters, still based at Emirates Golf Club, assisted Alison with her fitness and strength conditioning and both the Gregson-Walters brothers still provide coaching for Alison to this day, with Mark now based at Centurion Golf Club in Hertfordshire, England, getting together at tournaments whenever they can.

At the end of 2019 Alison made the decision to turn professional off a +3 handicap, and went on to win Medallist Honours at the First Stage LET Q-School and finishing runner-up in the Final LET Q-School, held at La Manga, Spain, earning her full LET playing privileges for the 2020 season.

On receiving the recent invite from Falcon, Alison commented, “I was delighted and very grateful to receive this invite from Falcon to play in my home event, with its limited field of 56 players. I know the Faldo Course at Emirates Golf Club very well. My first year on tour has not been easy for anyone with Covid-19 reducing the LET 2020 schedule to just 12 events with Dubai being number nine of the season.

“This Dubai invite enables me to have a three-week confirmed playing schedule as I am also qualified for the following two weeks of tournaments in Saudi Arabia.

“I am very impressed with the government of Dubai and LET health and safety Covid-19 conditions for the week, but sadly, as a result, I will not be able to stay at home and will be in the ‘Tournament Bubble’ all week.

“Growing up here in Dubai and now travelling everywhere for golf, I now realise that the golf facilities in Dubai are up there with the best of the world, and alongside the perfect winter season weather, I know how lucky I have been and still am, to have access to these facilities as well as the quality of teaching in Dubai,” concluded Alison.

All of Dubai and the UAE wishes the best for Alison in both Dubai and Saudi.

In this part of the world we do not always laud the achievements of home-grown sports people on their journey up the sporting ladder and onto the world stage.

Alison is a genuine product of golf in the city of Dubai and shows to all what is possible to achieve and at just 22 years old has only just started her global journey and rightly and proudly still calls Dubai home.

fairwayviewskt@gmail.com

THIS WEEK’S GOLF

PGA TOUR

OCTOBER 29th – 1st NOVEMBER, 2020

BERMUDA CHAMPIONSHIP

VENUE: PORT ROYAL GOLF CLUB, SOUTHAMPTON, BERMUDA.

PURSE: $4,000,000

EUROPEAN TOUR

OCTOBER 29th – 1st NOVEMBER, 2020

APHRODITE HILLS CYPRUS OPEN

PURSE: €1,000,000

VENUE: APHRODITE HILLS RESORT, PAPHOS, CYPRUS.