Ahmad Skaik, the UAE’s No.1 golfer, has been given the honour of hitting the opening tee shot at the prestigious Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC), which will be played at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club from November 3-6.
This will not be the first time the Emirati star has hit the first tee shot in a major international tournament, after he was given the honour at the Golf in Dubai Championship, which began on the 49th UAE National Day.
“I’m very excited to play in such a prestigious event, especially as its being held in my country,” said Skaik. “It’s always an honour to play this tournament, they really take care of us, and provide the players with a fantastic experience. It’s great to be a part of, and it’s great that they’ll be four Emiratis playing. I hear that I’m going to be hitting the first tee shot of the tournament, which is going to be a really special experience.”
Skaik, who plays off an impressive handicap of +2.7, has a stellar list of achievements on his glowing resume including winning the UAE Presidents Cup last year, finishing as the leading Emirati in the Abu Dhabi Amateur Championship as well as playing in the European Tour’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
Along with the experience gained from those events, this week’s tournament will be his fourth outing at the AAC, with the last being appearance coming in China in 2019 where the youngster failed to make the cut.
“I learned a lot from that experience in China,” he said. “I didn’t have the greatest preparation as I hadn’t played in many tournaments in the lead-up to that event. I’m in a similar sort of situation this year as this will only be my second event in the last six months, but hopefully my preparation has been better this year.
“It’s tough to juggle training for these big events with my studies, especially as it’s my last year, but I’ve had a lot of experience in big events, including the European Tour’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and Golf in Dubai Championship. I’ve obviously made mistakes in some of those bigger events, but I’ve definitely learned from them. “
With the tournament being played in the UAE, Skaik has his sights on following in the footsteps of two-time AAC champion Hideki Matsuyama. The Japanese superstar won his first AAC title in his homeland in 2010 and successfully defended his title in Singapore the following year, before becoming the first champion to win a Major Championship at this year’s Masters Tournament.
“It’s very inspiring to see what Hideki has done in the game,” he said. “To see someone who has played, and won, this event go on to be such a star in the world of golf, and win the Masters, it’s as big as it gets. As I said, it’s hugely inspiring, hopefully we’ll get the chance one day to follow in his footsteps."
