Van Veen and Ritchie share lead at UAE Challenge

Dutchman Vince van Veen and South African JC Ritchie share lead after day one of the Challenge Tour’s UAE Challenge.

Van Veen made the most of the morning conditions at Al Zorah Golf & Yacht Club to shoot an eight under par 64 before Ritchie followed suit in the afternoon. The pair sit one shot clear of a two-way tie for second.

Starting on the 10th, Van Veen birdied three of his first five holes before picking up shots on four consecutive holes between the 18th and the third. After tapping in a stress-free par on the ninth, the 28-year-old was thrilled with his day’s work.

“It was a good one to start with,” he said. “Happy enough with all the things I’ve seen today. I had seen Jamie my putting coach prior to the tournament, and I am rolling it nicely, so it was good.

“I hit a couple close but also knocked in a few nice ones. On three I think I made one from about 15-18 feet range there. Sometimes when you make a couple you keep the momentum going and all of a sudden everything seems to go in.”

Ritchie, who has tasted victory on the Challenge Tour four times, made nine birdies, including on the ninth – his last – to join van Veen on eight under par.

“That’s what dreams are made of. It was good,” Ritchie said.

“I’ve been playing really well lately, and the game has been in a really good space and I was really confident coming in. It’s really nice to start off the week with a good score like that.”

The 31-year-old dropped his only shot of the day on the par four seventh and was delighted to finish his round on a positive note.

“It was nice to get a good one away on the ninth, my last, and then hit a nice little nine iron in there to 12 feet and made a nice putt,” he added.

“I’ve been fighting a couple of monsters the last year or so. The game has been there, it’s just been about staying out of my own way, staying out of my own head and letting the game happen.”

Englishman George Bloor and Frenchman Romaine Wattle are tied for second on seven under par, with Scottish duo Euan Walker and David Law one shot further back on six under along with Indian Saptak Talwar and Peru’s Julian Perico. England’s Chris Paisley and France’s Oihan Guillamoundeguy are two of the players in a nine way tie at five under par.

Meanwhile, Adri Arnaus fared the best of the UAE-based players, carding a 4-under 68 after a strong finish that saw him pick up three shots over the final three holes. Joshua Grenville-Wood finished two shots further back, while the UAE’s leading amateur, Ahmad Skaik, enjoyed a bountiful and impressive back nine of 33 to sit at 1-over. He was followed closely by 18-year-old Rayan Ahmed, who finished one shot back.

The UAE Challenge is the first of two back-to-back Challenge Tour events in the country, followed by the Abu Dhabi Challenge at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club from April 17–20.

Both events are central to the Emirates Golf Federation’s (EGF) long-term strategy—developed in partnership with the DP World Tour—to grow the game, support local players, and position the UAE as a hub for elite-level golf.

“Our sport has come such a long way in the last couple of years,” said Ritchie.

“We’re giving more and more young players the opportunity to compete. In South Africa, five or six years ago, we got the chance, through the Challenge Tour events, to jump up to the next stage in our careers, and it’s opened the door for so many South African players. Opening that same door for other countries is unbelievable, and I think there should be great players coming out of the UAE after this.”