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Breakthrough wins for Ahmed, Chaudhuri at inaugural JAGA-UAE and GJG tournament
Young stars earn CLUTCH TOUR invitations as the UAE hosts its first Global Junior Golf event at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club
- PUBLISHED: Mon 16 Feb 2026, 6:43 PM
- By:
- Nick Tarratt, Guest Golf Writer
The Junior Asian Golf Academy (JAGA-UAE) and Global Junior Golf (GJG) hosted the first GJG tournament in the UAE at the Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting and Golf Club.
This collaboration was a significant milestone for JAGA-UAE and GJG, giving young golf talents a chance to showcase their skills and offering student-athletes a specific train-and-play experience.
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Coming out on top in their respective divisions and earning an invitation to a 2026 CLUTCH TOUR professional event in the UAE were Rayan Ahmed and Anuradha Chaudhuri.
In addition to spots for the top male and female in an upcoming CLUTCH TOUR professional event, the championship offered rankings for WAGR, JGR by Junior Golf Hub, JGS, GJG, and EGF Order of Merit points.
Leading the way as the Overall Winner and top of the U-23 Boys Division was Rayan Ahmed. Rayan posted rounds of 65-67-69 for a championship total of 201 (9-under-par). Rayan, a member of the UAE National Team, will be looking to fly the flag high, continuing a strong season into a 2026 CLUTCH TOUR event.
Rayan commented, " am delighted to win this first-of-its-kind event on the UAE calendar. I have played a lot of competitive golf in Al Ain, so I am used to the layout and conditions. Thanks to the organisers, and I especially look forward to playing in the CLUTCH Tour event later in the season."
Finishing runner-up in the U-23 Boys Division was Samuel Epstein (5-under-par for the championship) from England, and finishing in third place for the division was UAE National, Mohamad Skaik (2-under-par for the championship).
In the Girls Division, winning the championship on a final round countback was Anuradha Chaudhuri. Right behind her, coming in second place was Alayna Rafique. Both players shot 201, 1-under-par, for the tournament, but Anuradha claimed the championship after shooting a 72 in the final round, allowing her to claim the top spot and the CLUTCH TOUR invite.
Winning the U-14 Girls Division on a final round countback was Al Ain member Summer Langford.
In the U-18 Boys Division, Alexander Rushika, representing the UAE, won the top prize, shooting rounds of 71-65-69 for a championship total of 205, 5-under-par. Alexander’s final round of 69 won him the division on a final round countback.
Coming in second place from Ireland was Harris Fleming, and rounding out the Top Three in the U-18 Boys Division was Ondřej Chromcik from the Czech Republic.
Finally, for the U-14 Boys Division, Louis Salthouse from England won the division with rounds of 70-70-71 for a total of 211, 1-over-par. Coming in Second Place was JAGA-UAE student Carter Bryce, and finishing in third place from England was Leo Taylor.
