Ahmad Baig: Finding a base in Dubai will help me grow as a professional
Cvoid-19 had hit my plans soon after I became a professional two years back
Born in Pakistan, I took up golf in 2014 at 16 years of age because my brother Usman, seven years older than me, worked at Garrison Golf and Country Club in Lahore, Pakistan.
I started playing golf by hitting balls on the polo grounds, outside of the boundary of the golf course with just a single golf club and a few ‘borrowed’ golf balls, it was a humble beginning. I did not have any golf lessons. I was always there hitting balls after most of my studying was complete and it was so much fun.
I immediately fell in love with hitting a golf ball.
A new golf club, ‘Defence Raya’ then opened in Lahore, and my brother moved to work there and he has always helped me, wherever and whenever he could, and I started playing there. My brother caddies for me now.
I then got better and got selected for the Pakistan national amateur golf team. I was the number one amateur player in Pakistan. I won the 2018 Qatar Amateur Open and as a result, qualified to play in the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters on the DP World Tour and shot 74 and 69 to just miss the cut.
My other golf achievements as an amateur include the following: Iran International Amateur Open champion; winner of the 7th Faldo Challenge Pakistan Golf Championship in 2018 winning by 19 shots and the Under-21 category of 12th Faldo Series Asia Grand Final in Vietnam in the same year; Sri Lanka Junior Championship winner; Bangladesh Amateur Open, 2019 winner.
I turned professional in 2019 and played in tournaments in Pakistan and I am the number two ranked player on the PAK Pro Tour.
I have played in four events as a professional on the Mena Tour in Al Ain, Jordan, Al Zorah Golf Club where I made the cut and came 27th in Ras Al Khaimah at Tower Links Golf Club, where I shot rounds of 72, 66 and 71 for my best finish.
This gave me some good experience that I needed of different conditions on different courses in different countries.
I have been to Dubai three times and also visited Abu Dhabi. I have played on this visit at Dubai Hills Golf Club and in a couple of days will return to Pakistan. I have also played at The Els Club on previous visits to Dubai. I am comfortable in Dubai and the UAE and have some friends here.
I have been to Dubai three times and also visited Abu Dhabi. I have played on this visit at Dubai Hills Golf Club and in a couple of days will return to Pakistan. I have also played at The Els Club on previous visits to Dubai. I am comfortable in Dubai and the UAE and have some friends here.
I am now looking to further my career in golf on professional Tours and need to find an appropriate place to live and practice and base myself. Maybe, that could be Dubai?
I played recently in the Rumanza Golf Club Opening event for the new Sir Nick Faldo-designed golf course in Pakistan, along with Dubai resident Rafa Cabrera Bello (Spain), Graeme McDowell (N. Ireland) and Ladies European Tour player Charley Hull (Eng) as well as my fellow Pakistani golfers: Humza Amin, who plays on the Asian Tour, and Humna Amjed – one of Pakistan’s most promising female golfers.
Covid-19 hit my tournament schedule as soon as I turned professional and now that is hopefully all behind us, I am looking for opportunities to plan my professional career, whether on the Mena Tour, in Asia, Europe or even wider field.
Let’s see where I can hopefully get playing opportunities in professional golf. That is every professional golfer’s wish to be able to play a schedule of events and to climb the ladder of professional golf.
- Ahmad Baig is currently the No.2 ranked professional golfer in Pakistan.