Dubai: There is no denying that promising Emirati golfer Abdullah Al Musharrekh would love to be in the shoes of his equally gifted compatriot Khalid Yousuf for this weekend at least.
The eldest of the three Al Musharrekh brothers can only look on as Yousuf aims to make the most of a rare opportunity to play alongside Phil Mickelson, Graeme McDowell, Louis Oosthuizen and Martin Kaymer, the reigning four Major champions, at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship which gets underway on Thursday. But the 23-year-old brushed aside feelings of envy, insisting Yousuf's break has only fuelled his own determination to qualify for next month's Omega Dubai Desert Classic starring Tiger Woods.
"Obviously it's great for him," Abdullah told XPRESS ahead of the Desert Classic qualifying round which takes place at the Emirates Golf Club on Sunday. "He's my close friend. He's like my brother and I'm very proud of him. It just gives me the drive to work hard and hopefully earn the same opportunity."
Abdullah, his two younger siblings Ahmad and Hassan, and Yousuf are widely seen as the bright future of Emirati golf having all come through the Emirates Golf Federation's Junior Golf Development Programme. "We are like the pioneers of golf over here," he said on the sidelines of a golf clinic held for UAE media courtesy Etisalat. "We're very proud to be the pioneers. We're looking to expand and popularise golf in the UAE."
He added: "It does depend a great deal on us to get more junior nationals playing the game. And things like Khalid Yousuf playing in the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship are only going to help, especially if he plays well."
Golf may well be an individual sport but Abdullah revealed it has helped him forge a special bond with his brothers. "We're very close. We know each other's game inside out. Whenever one is struggling, we help each other out whether it's technique or something else. We can easily spot the differences in each other's game," he said.
Talking about his goals for 2011, Abdullah underlined the Pan Arab Games as one of the key targets.
"As a team, the GCC Championship in Bahrain next month is first on the list and we are preparing very hard for that. Then we have the senior Pan Arab Games later where we would like to be the first UAE team that wins a senior gold medal," he said.
Abdullah's Achievements
- Gold medal at Junior Pan Arab Games (UAE National Team) in 2005
- Silver medal in Senior Pan Arab Games (UAE National Team) in 2009
- Silver medal in GCC Golf Championships (UAE National Team) in 2009
- Only the third UAE player in history to receive a ‘plus' handicap
