Abu Dhabi: The Saadiyat Beach Golf Club has begun preparations to welcome some of the world’s best amateur golfers as they once again battle it out for top honours when the club hosts the 2020 Abu Dhabi Amateur Championship from December 14-16.
The Championship invites scratch golfers from around the world to compete for a chance to earn valuable World Amateur Golf Ranking points, as well as the Abu Dhabi Amateur Championship title – and potentially spots in the European Tour’s prestigious Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by EGA for the champion and leading Emirati player.
Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, the Arabian Gulf’s first beachfront course, has provided a strong test of golf for the first two editions of the Abu Dhabi Amateur Championships. The Gary Player-designed course respectfully harnesses the natural beauty of Saadiyat Island’s magnificent white sand beaches for a truly unique playing experience.
Three saltwater lakes and sand dunes provide majestic on-course hazards, while more than 60 bunkers add to the difficultly of the challenging Par 72.
Big break
The 2019 event hosted at the Gary Player designed course, was bigger and better, with over 30 nationalities from across the globe competing over 54 holes in an individual strokeplay format. Local star Josh Hill, who became the youngest ever winner of an Official World Golf Ranking event last year at the MENA Tour’s Al Ain Open, capped a memorable 2019 with a thrilling one-stroke triumph over Arjun Gupta to be crowned the second winner of the Championship following Dino Capazario’s triumph in 2018.
With the victory, Hill secured a spot in the European Tour’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by EGA, where he became the youngest-ever participant in the event and enjoyed a practice round with then World No.1 Brooks Koepka.
Ahead of the third Amateur Championships, Matt Waters, Group Director of Golf for Troon Abu Dhabi, said: “At Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, we pride ourselves in delivering the world renowned Troon Experience, which largely consists of maintaining exceptional playing surfaces which we believe sets the course up to be the perfect Championship venue for a World Amateur Golf Ranking Tournament. We are thoroughly looking forward to welcoming a vast array of elite amateur golfers to Abu Dhabi in December and to witness what we hope to be a thrilling tournament for all.”
