GOLF – THREE former champions will be amongst a talented field of golfers in the eighth edition of the Bahrain Amateur Open, which takes place tomorrow to Saturday at Royal Golf Club (RGC).
Bahrain’s senior men’s national team stars Ahmed Alzayed, Ali Akowari, and Khalifa Almerisi will all be taking to the fairways for the three-day, 54-hole event. They will be spearheading a field of around 100 amateur golfers from around the world, mainly representing clubs in the kingdom and across the region.
A practice round will be held today in preparation for the start of play tomorrow.
The World Amateur Golf Rankings event is a strokeplay tournament with gross and net divisions. A cut will be made after 36 holes for the leading 45 gross scores and ties.
This year’s champion will receive a direct qualification card to compete in the 19th King Hamad Trophy, to be held next month at RGC.
The victor will also have the opportunity to participate in the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship on the DP World Tour in 2027, along with the best Bahraini player. The Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship is slated to be held at RGC from January 28 to 31.
Alzayed is a two-time ex-winner of the tournament, while Alkowari and Almerisi are one-time victors. Al Zayed triumphed in 2020 and 2022, while Al Kowari emerged victorious in the Bahrain Amateur Open’s inaugural edition in 2019 and Almerisi took the win in the 2021 event.
Other ex-champions include Saudi Arabia’s Khalid Attieh in 2023, who was the first non-Bahraini titlist of the event, Aadam Syed from Pakistan in 2024, and Zubair Firdaus from Malaysia last year.
Firdaus secured his crown after roaring back from three strokes behind heading into the last day and eventually captured the title by two shots with a seven-under-par 209 total. Firdaus was the only player to go under par over the last 18 holes – a one-under 71 – with the rest of the field struggling under challenging conditions.
Then-14-year-old Qatari prodigy Daniil Sokolov finished as the runner-up. He led the competition for the first two days, but then shot a four-over 76 on the final day to sign off at five-under 211. Salehaleh Al Kaabi, also from Qatar, claimed third a further shot behind at four-under 212.
Bahrain’s Khalifa Alkaabi was the top Bahraini finisher last year.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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