Dubai [UNITED ARAB EMIRATES]: The Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC) will return after a one-year pandemic break with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) hosting the 12th playing of the championship from November 3 to 6 at the spectacular Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club in Dubai.
Following the cancellation of last year’s edition, the 2021 championship marks a maiden foray for the elite amateur meet to the Middle East and will join the numerous professional and amateur events the UAE hosts annually.
Taimur Hassan Amin, Chairman of the APGC, Fred Ridley, Chairman of the Masters Tournament, and Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A, said in a joint statement:
“This year’s historic win at the Masters Tournament by Hideki Matsuyama, a two-time Asia-Pacific Amateur champion, underscored the importance of this event as a platform for the game’s development and rising talent in the region.
“We are grateful for the support of the Emirates Golf Federation and Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, and we are committed to working closely with all involved to stage this year’s championship with responsible protocols in place so we can provide this life-changing opportunity safely to these deserving players.
“Dubai Creek’s championship course will enhance the tradition of world-class venues that have hosted this championship, and we look forward to showcasing the Asia-Pacific’s top-ranked amateurs this fall.”
Opened in 1993, Dubai Creek’s championship course features an 18-hole, par-71 layout originally crafted by Karl Litten before its redesign in 2004, led by Thomas Bjorn.
The course has previously hosted the 1999 and 2000 Dubai Desert Classic and the Mena Tour’s Dubai Creek Open, where 2018 AAC runner-up Rayhan Thomas shot a course-record 61 in 2017. Most recently, Dubai Creek hosted The Dubai Championship on the World Amateur Tour last December.
“After being part of the AAC for many years as a member of the APGC, we are excited to welcome this prestigious championship to the UAE for the first time,” said His Excellency Shaikh Fahim Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Emirates Golf Federation.
“This opportunity means a great deal to the Asia-Pacific’s many talented amateurs. We are honoured to support the APGC, the Masters Tournament and The R&A in their efforts to conduct a safe event and advance our shared mission of spurring golf’s growth and development,” he added.
Created in 2009, the AAC was established to further develop amateur golf in the Asia-Pacific region. The champion receives an invitation to compete in The Masters Tournament and The Open Championship, while the runner(s)-up gain a place in Final Qualifying for The Open.