Amateur Team Retain Viya Golf Trophy Following 16-16 Finish Against Professionals
Monday 18th May 2026; Dubai, United Arab Emirates: The Amateur team has retained the Viya Golf Trophy title for the third consecutive year following a 16-16 draw against the Professional team across two days of Ryder Cup-style competition at Jumeirah Golf Estates and Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club.
Formerly known as the Dubai Golf Trophy, the season-ending event once again brought together the UAE’s leading amateur and professional golfers following another Emirates PGA and Emirates Golf Federation season.
The result continues a strong run for the Amateur side, who have retained control of the long-standing competition in recent editions through a combination of experienced players and emerging talent from across the UAE golfing community.
Round one began on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates, where high temperatures provided an early challenge during the morning foursomes matches. The Amateur team made a strong start, taking a 5-3 lead through a series of closely contested results.
Among the notable performances, Alexander Rushika and Sam Mullane edged out Jackson Bell and Jan Hejna 1 up, while Thomas Stephenson and Dominic Morton also secured a 1 up victory over Paul Shields and Tom Ogilvie. Adrian Larsson and Victor Larsson recorded one of the largest winning margins of the session with a 4&3 result against Matt Brookes and Tom Hanson.
The Amateurs maintained their lead during the afternoon fourball matches despite a response from the Professionals. Louis Thorne and Mikhail Pinto secured a 5&3 victory, while Jay Mullane and Lauri Paasilinna added another point through a 4&3 win.
The Professionals reduced the deficit late in the day, leaving the overnight score at 8.5-7.5 in favour of the Amateur team.
Monday’s singles matches at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club saw windy conditions add further difficulty throughout the day. The Professionals started strongly, with Professional Captain Sujjan Singh defeating Mikhail Pinto 5&4, while Paul Shields secured a 3&2 victory over Alexander Rushika.
The Amateur side responded through several important results, including Adrian Larsson’s 4&3 victory against Matt Rice and Sam Mullane’s 3&1 win over David Gray. Jay Mullane also secured a narrow 1 up win against Jackson Bell.
The Professionals continued to apply pressure through victories from Tom Ogilvie, Damien Scott and Faycal Serghini, while Stephen Wilson and Luke Challis halved their match to leave the overall score tied at 16-16 and confirm the Amateur team retained the Viya Golf Trophy title under tournament rules.
Alongside the main event, the Ladies Challenge Match saw the Amateur pairing of Alayna Rafique and Sana Tufail secure a 4&3 foursomes victory over Priyanka Parmar and Lea Pouillard at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
The Professionals responded during the matches at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, with Priyanka Parmar defeating Sana Tufail 5&3 and Lea Pouillard securing a 2&1 victory over Alayna Rafique. The ladies fourball match finished tied, resulting in the Professional team winning the Ladies Challenge Match 2.5 to 1.5.
The 27th edition of the Viya Golf Trophy once again brought together many of the UAE’s leading amateur and professional golfers to conclude the 2025-2026 season.