E-Paper
Sign In
Skaik eyes pro leap as UAE double-header returns to HotelPlanner Tour
UAE’s top amateur hails EGF’s partnership with the European Tour Group as a game-changer for local talent
- PUBLISHED: Mon 24 Mar 2025, 4:25 PM
UAE National Team star Ahmad Skaik is gearing up for his return to the HotelPlanner Tour’s UAE double-header next month - an essential step in his journey toward turning professional.
For the third consecutive year, the DP World Tour’s official feeder circuit will land in the UAE, with the Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) co-promoting two marquee events.
Recommended For You
The action kicks off with the UAE Challenge from April 10-13 at Al Zorah Golf & Yacht Club, marking its debut as a European Tour Group-sanctioned venue. The competition then moves to Abu Dhabi for the Abu Dhabi Challenge at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club from April 17-20.
Vital Platform
These back-to-back tournaments provide a vital platform for emerging stars and DP World Tour veterans fighting their way back to golf’s top tier. More importantly, they serve as a springboard for UAE National Team players, UAE-based professionals, and elite amateurs, thanks to the EGF’s partnership with the European Tour Group, which guarantees 30 tournament spots for UAE players across each event - 60 in total.
This initiative is part of a long-term commitment to growing UAE golf until at least 2032. Skaik has been a prime beneficiary, using these opportunities to sharpen his game over the past two years. He will once again tee it up alongside UAE National Team teammates Sam Mullane, Jonathan Selvaraj, Rayan Ahmed, Mohammad Skaik, and Neyl Cherrat.
Valuable Partnership
“The partnership has been very, very valuable,” said Skaik. “I feel like I get better every time I play on the HotelPlanner Tour – I grow my character, I learn and believe I can one day compete and win there.
“The players on the Tour are a bit sharper, make fewer mistakes and are a bit more consistent – I feel like I’m getting there. I just need to keep practising and doing what I’m doing, and hopefully one day I can win there and on the DP World Tour.”
Riding the Momentum
Skaik’s exposure to elite competition has accelerated his path to turning professional—possibly as early as the end of this year, following the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in the UAE.
Last month, the 27-year-old produced a career-defining performance at the 2025 GCC Golf Championship, clinching both individual and team gold medals for the UAE at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in Saudi Arabia.
His record-breaking 18-under-par total (270) set a new championship benchmark and secured the largest winning margin in the event’s history.
Skaik attributes this success to the invaluable experience gained from playing 12 HotelPlanner Tour events over the past two years. Thanks to the EGF’s global exchange program, he and his UAE teammates have tested themselves against top international fields—an opportunity that has accelerated their development.
Committed to hard Work
“Playing these events always helps me stay on top of things,” said Skaik. “I want to work hard and be confident heading to these events so I can compete.
“When I’m playing well, I want to play more and more - I love it when I have three or four upcoming HotelPlanner Tour starts as I learn from them and get better as the weeks go by.”
A Milestone for UAE Officiating
Next month’s HotelPlanner Tour double-header won’t just be a proving ground for UAE golfers—it will also mark a new chapter for UAE golf officiating.
The EGF’s newly appointed full-time rules officials, Sasinun and Sasikarn Tungbenjapol, will make their HotelPlanner Tour debut. The Thai twins bring a wealth of experience from the Thai LPGA Tour, Ladies European Tour, and Asian Tour, along with officiating for the R&A at the 2022 Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship in Thailand.
With a commitment to developing both players and the broader golf ecosystem, the EGF’s partnership with the European Tour Group continues to shape the future of UAE golf - one event, one opportunity, and one milestone at a time.