After Adam Bresnu's success in Dubai, could the next hope for Arab golf be teeing it up in Bahrain?

The National

30-01-2025

When Adam Bresnu became the first Arab to make a cut at a Rolex Series event in Dubai two weeks ago, he said he hoped it would encourage aspiring golfers from the region. The trickle-down effect might take a little while to really take hold, but it has given home hopefuls reason to be optimistic ahead of the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship this week. The event at the Royal Golf Club is one of six DP World Tour tournaments in the region across the course of 2025 – two in Dubai, and one each in Ras Al Khaimah, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Doha. It goes to show the impact of Gulf nations on the sport has been vast since the Dubai Desert Classic was first staged 36 years ago. While the drift of the sport towards the Middle East has been substantial, the emergence of players from the region has been slow. To illustrate the point, there are more tour events in the region than there are Arab players in the 132-player field for the Bahrain Championship. Yaseen Le Falher secured a spot to play this week as the highest-ranked Bahraini in the Bahrain Amateur Open. He knows Bresnu, having met the Moroccan youngster at the Pan-Arab Golf Championship, and he says the successes of his fellow Arab amateur player have been inspiring. 'The gap between amateur and pro golf has got a lot slimmer in recent years,' Le Falher, 24, said. 'It is still a big jump, because these guys play at that level week-in and week-out. 'You can see the gap is smaller with an amateur [Nick Dunlap at the American Express] winning on the PGA Tour last year. 'You see a lot more amateurs making the cut and it makes you think, if you are competing against these guys in amateur tournaments, and they are making the cut in these big pro events, it is definitely doable. 'There is no reason why it can't be me this week.' Much like Bresnu, who is a French-born Moroccan who splits his time between Paris, Rabat, and the USA, where he is at college, Le Falher is as much a citizen of the world as he is the region. He is a French-born, Bahraini citizen of Algerian-heritage who went to university in the UK, before opting to study for a master's degree back in Paris. His parents moved to Bahrain three years before he was born. After 25 years they were granted Bahraini citizenship, and they are proud to represent the country in sport as a family. As well as himself in golf, Le Falher's two sisters represent the country at swimming. While Bresnu is the son of a golf coach, there is no pedigree for the sport in Le Falher's family at all. He was given a plastic club as a present from his mum when he was three years old. When he showed promise with that, he was taken along for golf lessons when aged seven to the new golf club that was being built in the centre of Bahrain. So embryonic was the Royal Golf Club back then, his starter sessions took place at the Ritz Carlton instead as there was no driving range at the club. Both the player and the course – which will be hosting major champions such as Patrick Reed and Padraig Harrington – have come a long way since. 'None of my family play golf so it has never been pushed on me,' Le Falher said. 'It is just what I really enjoy doing. 'It has helped me once I moved on in terms of independence. Nobody is forcing you to play golf when you are living on your own. You have to have the self-motivation to play. The enjoyment of it is what gets me out playing golf.' Le Falher has plenty of options to pursue as a career. He is finishing his master's degree in finance in Paris, having previously studied aeronautical engineering at Durham University in the UK. And a pro career in golf? Depending on how this week goes, that could start as soon as later this year. Whatever the future does hold for him in the game, he is hoping it can have a lasting effect on Bahrain golf, too. 'If I have a good week, with the juniors out here watching, they can see that if you play well enough in the amateur tournaments, you can get your spot in an event like this,' he said. 'If you do well, it can kick start your career then hopefully it inspires them to spend time working hard, practising and keep playing golf.' Ali Al Kowari, another of the three Bahrainis in the field, is also making his tour debut. 'I'm a bit nervous, I wouldn't lie about this, but it is going to be a good experience playing in my first tournament like this,' Al Kowari said. 'The biggest thing is having fun and learning.' Al Kowari started out playing on a sand course when he was eight, after being introduced to the game by his dad. He gave up the game for three years to study, before returning to it last year. He does not have thoughts about going professional at present but is instead focused on representing his national team. He hopes to make his compatriots proud this week. 'I am playing individually, but still I am playing as though I am representing Bahrain,' he said. 'It is lovely playing in the name of Bahrain. 'It is my first time in a big tournament, but I have the advantage that this is my home course. It is always good being at home, among your friends and family. Making the cut in this tournament would be a huge push in my golf career.'