Amateurs Beat Professionals to Bring Home 2023 Dubai Golf Trophy
Monday 2nd October 2023; Dubai United Arab Emirates: The amateurs have claimed back the Dubai Golf Trophy from the professionals 19.5 – 12.5 after two days comprising of 54 holes of competition over the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates and the Championship Course at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club.
The annual tournament hosts the top 16 professionals vs the top 16 amateurs in the UAE which is now in its 24th edition. With each team of 16 players consisting of twelve automatic qualifiers from the season-long UAE PGA tournaments and qualifying Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) events across the UAE. In addition, the team captains welcomed four ‘wildcard’ picks, and two ladies on both sides.
Amateurs held four point lead into final day
After day one on Sunday, the amateurs were leading 10-6 over the professionals after the Foursome and Fourball sessions, giving them the momentum leading into Mondays final day singles matches.
A lead eventually just too big for the professionals to fight back from as the amateurs won nine of their 16 singles matches to seal the deal and bring back the Dubai Golf Trophy into their hands in which they lost out on last year.
The biggest scalp on the day was claimed by professional Matt Brookes (Dubai Creek) winning 7&6 over Dan Byrne (The Els Club). While also a mention to a few big amateur victories in Jake Wiltshire (Abu Dhabi City Golf Club) 5&3 over Sam Mclaren (Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club), Simon Dunn (Tower Links Golf Club) beating Purna Sharma (Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club) 6&4, and Rami Samawi (The Els Club) winning 5&4 over David Gray (Golf Souk).
The winning moment where the amateurs won back the Dubai Golf Trophy was in match eight where Jules Lompech (Abu Dhabi Golf Club) tied on the very last hole with David Guinee (Trump International Dubai Golf Club).
Playing alongside was the Ladies Challenge Match, the same format between two professionals and two amateur Ladies.
It was again a win for the amateurs as the pair of Aoife Kelly (Trump International Dubai Golf Club) and Jamie Camero (The Els Club) defeated the professionals in Olivia Jackson (Emirates Golf Club) and Lea Pouillard (Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club) 3–1.
Day Two Results:
Monday Singles:
| Louis Gaughan | win 2&1 over | Jay Mullane |
| Sujjan Singh | win 4&2 over | Thomas Nesbitt |
| Graham Forbes | loss 3&1 over | Viktor Kofod-Olsen |
| Mike Major | loss 3&2 over | Jonathan Selveraj |
| Matt Brookes | win 7&6 over | Dan Byrne |
| Tom Ogilvie | loss 1 up over | Dominic Morton |
| Sam Mclaren | loss 5&3 over | Jake Wiltshire |
| Jules Lompech | tied | David Guinee |
| Tom Hanson | loss 3&2 over | Sam Mullane |
| Purna Sharma | loss 6&4 over | Simon Dunn |
| Stuart Smith | win 2&1 over | Steven Kelbrick |
| Phil Waine | loss 3&2 over | Max Burrow |
| Steve Munro | win 2&1 over | Craig Vance |
| David Gray | loss 5&4 over | Rami Samawi |
| Matt Rice | win 1 up over | Alister Parlane |
| Mike Bolt | loss 3&2 over | Dan Kirkwood |
Ladies Challenge Match:
| Olivia Jackson | win 3&1 over | Aoife Kelly |
| Lea Pouillard | loss 3&1 over | Jamie Camero |