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Khaleej Times
a day ago
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
Dubai's Rayhan Thomas falls victim to shock admin error on PGA Korn Ferry Tour
Dubai-born Rayhan Thomas saw his hopes dashed at the $1 million Pinnacle Bank Championship presented by Woodhouse last week, not by his game, but by a stunning administrative error. The 25-year-old, who turned professional in June 2024 and represents Dubai Creek Resort and Dubai Golf, had been allocated the first reserve spot for the Korn Ferry Tour event at Indian Creek Golf Club in Nebraska. His father, John, even flew in from Dubai to watch him compete. Thomas waited patiently all Thursday, hoping for a last-minute withdrawal to open the door. It never came - or so it seemed. Ironically, four players did pull out, but only after they had begun their first rounds. Phone Call Brings Shock News Then came the twist. On the drive back to his U.S. base in Oklahoma, Thomas's phone rang nonstop. When he picked up, he learned the truth: a clerical error had cost him his place in the field. South African MJ Daffue, who should have been listed as an alternate, was wrongly entered ahead of Thomas due to a ranking category misallocation. Daffue, 36, had earlier played the ISCO Championship on the PGA Tour under a medical exemption, which had expired. His ranking shifted to the Korn Ferry Tour, but a category reshuffle placed him higher than he was eligible for. Thomas, ranked 107th, should have taken the final available spot. Instead, Daffue played and finished tied 39th with rounds of 67, 66, 73, and 72, earning $5,100 and moving up to 107th in the standings. Speaking to Khaleej Times from the U.S., Thomas said: 'Apparently, I will receive some spots as part of the compensation for the error. I am now placed 113 in the Points table. We will see how those conversations go along with my management. Staying Focused Amid Setback 'It is obviously disappointing and one of those things that is unfortunate and out of my hands. Every week, at this time of the season, is very important. I will focus on my golf and, if I play well, everything will take care of itself.' His father was equally pragmatic: 'Rayhan needs to make the top 75 to make the Finals and retain his full card - he has four events left before the Korn Ferry Championship, and if he does well, none of this will matter. He is a strong lad, and let's hope so.' This week, Thomas is confirmed as an entry for the $1 million Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron in Idaho. With the top 20 in the Korn Ferry Rankings at season's end earning PGA Tour cards for 2026, the stakes couldn't be higher. Good luck to Rayhan, and let's hope this is a season-defining moment in a positive sense for him. He deserves it. For the records, South African Christo Lamprech, won the tournament, earning $180,000 with rounds of 67, 67, 65 and 66 for a 72-hole total of 265, to be 19 under par. He moves up to 10th place in the Korn Ferry Rankings. We thank Monday Q for their cooperation with this article.
Khaleej Times
18-02-2025
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
'Proud' Young wins individual title at Emirates PGA Pro-Am supported by the Emirates PGA
GOLFTEC's Malcolm Young said he was proud of his performance after shooting a five under par 67 to win the Emirates PGA Division of the Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) Pro-Am supported by the Emirates PGA, at Ajman's Al Zorah Golf & Yacht Club. Young won by a shot from Faycal Serghini (EGF) and Matt Brookes (Dubai Creek Resort). The field of 25 Pros saw 12 players on par or better. The Pro-Am was a Qualifier for the 2024 – 2025 Emirates PGA Order of Merit. Young is certain to make an impressive move with this win on the Merit table. In the Pro-Am Team Division Serghini (EGF) won the event with a score of 45 under par – with Amateurs Aylan Serghini and Ali Abubaker with Serghini's individual score also acting as the third Amateur. There were 28 Teams competing on the day with Team Serghini coming out on top. Young told Khaleej Times at the end of the round: " I was pleased with how I played today. I had a fun day with my three amateurs on course today. To come top of the pile with such a strong field of Emirates PGA Pros is an achievement I am very proud of. "It is never easy to win one of these Emirates PGA individual events – some, if not all of the Pros can really play and all can get it around in low numbers. "My Pro-Am Team came in tied fifth with a 35 under par score. I thought we might finish a little higher up in the Team Division – it was a competitive day all round," Young added. The format was Tour Team Shambles alongside the Pro Individual Division. The winning team captained by Faycal Serghini (EGF), won on by an impressive six points from runners-up captained by Pro Jackson (Jumeirah Golf Estates) and his Amateur team. General Abdullah Alhashmi, Vice-Chairman of the EGF, presented the prizes and thanked everyone for participating and the event sponsors for all their support: e-Golf Megastore, Aguila Golf, DNATA Travel and the host golf club: Al Zorah Golf & Yacht Club. Results Team Event / Tour Shambles Overall Winners F. Serghini (Pro, EGF), A. Serghini, A. Abubaker & Amateur Score (Pro, F. Serghini), 45 under-par. UAE Nationals Team Division M. Brookes (Pro, Dubai Creek Resort), S. Al Hosani, A. Almheiri, & S. Ali, 32 under-par. Overall Runners-up J. Bell (Pro, JGE) D. Nicholson, R. Al Jarwan & D. Higgins, 39 under-par. UAE National Junior Division C. Van Rooyen (Pro, EGF), Z. Ali, N. Cherratt & A. Salmeen, 32 under-par Pro Individual / Emirates PGA (Par 72). M. Young (GOLFTEC, Dubai) 67. F. Serghini (EGF) 68. M. Brookes (Dubai Creek Resort) 68. H. Wallani (EGF) 69. S. Wallani (EGF) 69. G. Porteous (ProSports International) 69. D. Gray (UAE) 69.
Khaleej Times
11-02-2025
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
Impressive Gulati seizes lead in Tommy Fleetwood Pathway Series at Yas Links
Raghav Gulati (Dubai Creek Resort) set the pace on Day One of the Tommy Fleetwood International Pathway Series Presented by DP World and aligned with the AJGA at Yas Links Abu Dhabi, firing an impressive five-under-par 67 to take the lead. Gulati, who had a strong showing in the November edition of this event at Al Hamra Golf Club, Ras Al Khaimah, started with an eagle on the par-4 first hole. He followed up with birdies on holes 4, 7, and 8, turning in a blistering 31 shots. His steady back nine, featuring nine pars, helped him finish the day with a card of 67. Gulati now holds a two-shot lead over Daniel Butteriss (ENG), who shot a solid 69. Despite seven birdies, Butteriss was held back by a double bogey on hole 16. In the Girls' Division, Mahreen Bhatia (DLF G&CC, India) claimed the lead with a four-under 68, three shots ahead of Ananyaa Sood (The Els Club, Dubai). James Harris, Assistant Golf Services Manager at Yas Links Abu Dhabi, commented to Khaleej Times: "We have seen some great scoring on Day 1 of our Tommy Fleetwood International Pathway Series event today. "At the top, we have witnessed some exceptional golf with a true birdie festival. Tomorrow (Tuesday) will be another day of competitive golf.' The Tommy Fleetwood Pathway Series is a 54-hole qualifying event for World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) points and is sanctioned by the Emirates Golf Club. Second-round tee times for tomorrow (Tuesday) will run from 7:00 am to 8:50 am. Round One Leading Scores Boys' Division R. Gulati (Dubai Creek) 67 D. Butteriss (ENG) 69 S. Astrom (Jumeirah Golf Estates) 72 K. Kim (Korea) 73 Girls' Division M. Bhatia (DLF G&CC, India) 68 A. Sood (The Els Club, Dubai) 71 A. Matieu (Dubai Hills Golf Club) 75
Khaleej Times
26-01-2025
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
EGC's Team Zi Hao triumphs in Dubai Golf Pro-Am Grand Final at Emirates Golf Club
A four-player team captained by professional Zi Hao (EGC), alongside amateurs Bayer Khan (12), Raj Janardhan (20), and Maria Dunkel (26), scored 97 Stableford points to win the Dubai Golf Pro-Am Grand Final at Emirates Golf Club's Majlis Course on Sunday. The Grand Final marked the culmination of the DG Lincoln Pro-Am Series, which took place across six golf courses during the season: Dubai Creek Resort, Emirates Golf Club (both the Faldo and Majlis Courses), Jumeirah Golf Estates (both Earth and Fire), and Yas Links Abu Dhabi. The top three pros and teams from each qualifier secured spots in the final. In a closely contested Team Division, it ultimately came down to a two-horse race between Team Hao and Team Brendan Els. Team Hao emerged victorious by just one point, with Team Freddie Price (Pro, Dubai Creek Resort) securing third place with 85 points. Ian Brennan from Emirates Golf Club emceed the prize presentation and extended special thanks to the sponsors for their continued support of this popular event on both the domestic Dubai Golf and VIYA Golf members' calendars. The Individual Pro title was claimed by Brendan Els (Jumeirah Golf Estates), who posted an impressive four-under 68. The tournament served as a qualifier for the Emirates PGA Order of Merit. Results (Team Stableford) Z. Hao (Pro, EGC), B. Khan (12), R. Janardhan (20), M. Dunkel (26) – 97 Points B. Els (Pro, Jumeirah Golf Estates), A. Turnbull (14), B. Valentine (12), K. Voegeli (14) – 95 Points F. Price (Pro, Dubai Creek Resort), J. Gorman (10), Z. DeBord (14), N. Whiteley (14) – 85 Points Pro Individual / Emirates PGA Division B. Els (JGE) – 68 J. Bell (JGE) – 69 M. Swarts (ClubLab) – 71 J. Estevez (5i Golf) – 72 M. Rice (GolfKraft) – 73 Videos
