Ahmad Skaik took time out of his preparations for the DP World Tour’s inaugural Ras Al Khaimah Championship to speak to Gulf News to discuss his hopes and expectations of the week ahead.
Following two weeks on the DP World Tour at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and the Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic, there is no let up for the UAE’s No. 1 amateur as he gears up for another tournament at Al Hamra Golf Club in RAK before once again teeing it up once again at the first ever Ras Al Khaimah Classic over the same course from February 10-13.
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After rubbing shoulders with the likes of Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa and Viktor Hovland over the past two weeks, Skaik is once again ready to mix it with the big boys in a field including former Masters champion Danny Willett, Bernd Wiesberger — who ran McIlroy and Hovland close in Dubai — plus Dubai resident and recent Golden Visa recipient Nicolas Colsaerts.
“I had a little bit of a tough time at the end of the Desert Classic,” said Skaik, referring to his 84 on Friday at Emirates Golf Club. “But I have been working out my swing on the range and I am feeling really confident. The Majlis was a bit tough with the rough really high, but it will be good to get going on Al Hamra. My swing is much better. Some times you just have a bad day, and I guess that happened on Friday, but I love the course at Al Hamra and I am ready to get in the mix.”
The RAK Championship — $2 million event DP World Tour event — is making its bow this week and Skaik is looking forward to playing alongside some big names once again.
“I was alongside the best of the best in Abu Dhabi and Dubai and it was great to see the guys like Rory and Collin in the same locker room,” he said. “I’m getting used to it now and Ross Fisher — whom I played with in Abu Dhabi — saw my name on the practice round here at Al Hamra and he put his name down beside me. That was a really nice touch.”
Skak admits he will have some catching up to do when he gets back to his college work.
“We are in the middle of four weeks back-to-back, and it is non-stop,” he said. “I have had little time for studies and it has been on the back-burner for a bit. I’m not quite sure, but I will certainly have a bit of catch-up to do. I will take a few days to recuperate — maybe three days away from the clubs — when it all calms down and then get back to it.”
