After deservedly earning their places in the eagerly contested qualifying tournament held jointly at Al Mouj Golf and Ghala Golf Club in September, sixteen-year-old Ahmed Al Wahaibi and Men’s National Team stalwart Azaan Al Rumhy have travelled to the UAE to represent Oman in the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC).
The AAC tournament is taking place from the 3rd to the 6th November at the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club, where Oman’s duo will tee up alongside 120 of the best players from the Asia-Pacific region, all competing for the prestigious title as well as dream invitations to two of golf’s Major Championships, the Masters and The Open. Incidentally the 2021 Masters Tournament champion and 12th ranked player in the world, Hideki Matsuyama, is a former winner of the APAC tournament himself.
Mundhir Al Barwani, Chairman of the Oman Golf Association is quoted as saying “we are delighted to send Ahmed and Azaan to represent Oman in the Asia Pacific Amateur Championships and we wish them all the best, we extend our gratitude to His Highness Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham bin Tarik Al Said, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth and our sponsors and partners including Sohar Aluminium, Moore and Haya Water for their ongoing support of golf development in the Sultanate”.
Both players have been busy preparing themselves for the esteemed tournament and recently travelled to Jordan to play in their National Open as a warm-up event. This preparation coincides with the arrival of Peter Bailey who joins the Oman Golf Association in the role of Golf Development and National Team Manager.
Peter has been a PGA Professional since 2004 and brings with him a wealth of practical knowledge in youth sport development with over 15 years of regional experience in the golf industry. He was trained by the world leading golf coach Pete Cowen and has built on this experience by continuing the coaching journey in postgraduate education to explore and challenge current practice in golf, and to bring a fresh look at the sport and the way it is viewed.
In addition to further developing the talents of the elite Omani golfers who form part of the Amateur National Teams the role will also focus on introducing the game at grass roots level to a wider audience.
When asked about his appointment Peter is quoted as saying “I am delighted to be joining the team at the Oman Golf Association and to have the opportunity to guide and coach the existing Oman National Team players, fortunately I have had some time to work with Ahmed and Azaan before the Asia Pacific event. I am also excited about seeking new ways to grow ladies and junior golf though the GOLadies and GOJuniors programmes that the OGA have established. Golf provides so many benefits, both physical and mental, and I look forward to sharing these to help the OGA contribute positively to Oman Vision 2040.”
Jamie Wood, Technical Director for the OGA, added “Peter has arrived at an ideal time as with travel restrictions easing our National Teams are once again preparing to represent the Sultanate in regional and international events. I am certain that Peter will have a positive impact on all of our players and also that their performance and experiences will be an important part of inspiring the next generation of Omani golfers, to that end we hope that Ahmed and Azaan have a great week at the AAC and we wish them all the best”.