Cameron Van Rooyen Daily Diary: I'm caddying for Ahmad Skaik

This week I am caddying for UAE Presidents Cup winner, UAE National Ahmad Skaik.

Ahmad played well last week at Abu Dhabi Golf Club in the Abu Dhabi Challenge and shot rounds of 71 and 77. Ahmad played nicely, but just could not keep it together in the second round. There are such small margins at all levels of the game of golf.

He received a tournament invite as part of the Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) allocation in their long-term partnership with the Challenge Tour. .

We played a nine-hole practice round yesterday (Tuesday) to get the feel of the place. The golf course is in excellent shape. At this stage of any tournament prep - it is not about technical stuff, it is about just getting the ball around in the fewest shots. It has been warm and windy over the last few days. The greens are around 10 foot and six inches on the stimpmetre and with the forecast ahead, I understand they are trying to slow them down. Winds of upto 35 km per hour are anticipated for round one, which should add to the test.

We will focus on Ahmad’s process and the current shot and not get ahead of ourselves.

It is good to see so many of the leading players from my home country of South Africa in the field as well as the rest of the world. There are 29 countries represented in this week’s field.

Watching all the players last week 20 minutes down the road at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, all I can say, is that the golf is of a very high standard.

To get an opportunity to play in a Challenge Tour event in such a tournament environment is a special opportunity for the likes of Ahmad and both the Professional and other Amateur invites.

Ahmad will tee off in the first round at 12.15 pm from the 10th Tee alongside Haraldur Magnus and Robin Roussel.

Ahmad knows the golf course here at Saadiyat Beach probably better than anyone in the field.

We have all been made very welcome for both weeks in Abu Dhabi.

Good luck to all the 156 players, both Professionals and the competing Amateurs in the $300,000 event this week in the Capital, especially Ahmad.

Looking forward to speaking to you all after tomorrow’s round one.

Cameron is a 33 year-old South African who has worked as a Golf Coach in South Africa, Kuwait, Malaysia and Singapore who is the UAE National Coach based at Abu Dhabi Golf Club and arrived in the UAE in January, 2023.