\u201cThey\u2019re in a really good place right now, and where better to perform well than at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship this time next week.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Ahmad](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Ahmad-Skaik.jpg\")
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Ahmad Skaik<\/p>\n
28-year-old team member Ahmad Skaik reflects on the team\u2019s recent successes, \u201cWe\u2019ve done well as a team recently\u2014we finished second at the Pan-Arab Championship for the first time, and we won gold at the GCC Championship in Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe feel like we\u2019re doing our part, and now we want to perform on even bigger stages,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
![\"Rayan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Rayan-Ahmed-31.jpg\")
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Rayan Ahmed<\/p>\n
Support from the Emirates Golf Federation has been critical to that progress. Rayan Ahmad emphasises the advantages of that backing: \u201cThey allow us to travel, play a lot of events, and give us access to amazing golf courses.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a level of support that many golfers around the world don\u2019t get, so it\u2019s a real privilege for us all.\u201d<\/p>\n
The AAC is one of the most prestigious amateur tournaments globally. Past champions and competitors include Hideki Matsuyama, Cameron Smith, Si Woo Kim, and Min Woo Lee, all of whom have gone on to succeed on the world\u2019s biggest tours. The 2025 winner earns an exemption into the 2026 Masters Tournament and the 154th Open Championship, while the runner-up secures a place in Open Final Qualifying.<\/p>\n
![\"Emirates](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/EGC-Day-1-2.jpg\")
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Emirates Golf Club \u2013 Majlis Course<\/p>\n
Opened in 1988 as the first grass course in the region, the Majlis has since become a Middle East golfing icon. It is host to the Hero Dubai Desert Classic on the DP World Tour, with champions including Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Seve Ballesteros, and Ernie Els, who still holds the course record of 61.<\/p>\n
Pratt highlighted the scale of hosting such a tournament as the AAC. \u201cEven from the logistics and event planning side of things, The Masters and The R&A teams have been incredibly professional with every small detail.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been involved in large tournaments before, but they consider everything: how tablecloths are laid at the welcome reception, seating arrangements, entrances and exits, where photos are taken\u2014they haven\u2019t missed a single thing.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen it comes to hosting and hospitality, they set the benchmark. It\u2019s been exciting to learn from them from an operational perspective as well. The tournament itself is huge, but I\u2019ve been equally impressed with how they prepare for the week.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Ahmad](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Ahmad-Skaik-Rayan-Ahmad-Jonathan-Selvaraj-and-Sam-Mullane-Emirates-Golf-Federation.jpg\")
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Jonathan Selvaraj, Rayan Ahmad, Ahmad Skaik and Sam Mullane<\/p>\n
The 16th edition of the AAC features 21 Arab golfers from ten Middle Eastern countries, alongside a full international field. The host nation UAE, will be represented by Skaik, Ahmad, Sam Mullane, Jonathan Selvaraj, and Abdulla Kalbat. The championship tees off on October 23 for four days of tournament action, with Emirates Golf Club ready to deliver another memorable week for the Asia-Pacific region and the UAE\u2019s rising golf stars.<\/p>\n
RELATED: Homegrown hope at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship<\/a><\/p>\n Follow Golf Digest Middle East on social media<\/p>\n