The UAE’s Rayan Ahmed has his sights sets on winning next year’s edition of the Asia- Pacific Amateur Championship on home soil.
The 17-year-old amateur golfer became only the third player from the UAE to make the cut at the 15th edition of prestigious tournament last weekend at Japan’s Taiheiyo Club.
To mark the achievement on his maiden outing in the event, Ahmed received a special congratulations from Masters Chairman Fred Ridley and Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) Vice Chairman General Abdullah Alhashmi.
“It was a great experience at my first Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship,” Ahmed told Gulf News.
“I was very pleased to make the cut. The course was very different to UAE courses, as it was raining every day and it was a tight tree-lined course, unlike Dubai which has generally wider fairways.”
After following in the footsteps of fellow UAE golfers Ahmed Al Musharrekh and Ahmad Skaik by making the weekend, Ahmed is hoping to create his own slice of history when Emirates Golf Club hosts the next edition in October 2025.
The Championship will return to Dubai and the Middle East for the second time after its debut in the region in 2021, with the Majlis Course welcoming the top male amateurs in the Asia-Pacific region representing the 43 Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation affiliated organisations.
“The goal is to win the tournament next year,” Ahmed said.
“That might seem like a far-fetched goal, but if I am willing to put in the hard work over the next year, then it will be possible.
“I have played the Majlis many times – it’s a tricky course but it’s all about preparation and planning. Having that home course advantage increases my chances.
“The players who attend the championship are world class, most of them are in top D1 colleges in the US, and with my goal being to play D1 in the US as well.
"I need to prove myself against these guys next year - not just by making the cut, but by going beyond that."
The champion of the 2025 Asia-Pacific Amateur will receive an invitation to compete in the following year’s Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club and an exemption into The 154th Open at Royal Birkdale. The runner(s)-up will gain a place in Final Qualifying for The Open.
