The UAE will be proudly represented by two talented young golfers, Rayan Ahmed and Abdulla Kalbat, at the upcoming Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, set to take place from October 3rd to 6th at the Taiheiyo Club Gotemba in Japan. This prestigious event, established in 2009, aims to promote and develop amateur golf in the Asia-Pacific region. The stakes are high, with the champion earning an invitation to compete in the 2025 Masters Tournament and The 153rd Open, while the runner(s)-up will secure a spot in the Final Qualifying for The Open.
Rayan and Abdulla will be among representatives from other regional nations, including Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. The 120-player field includes players from 38 APGC member organizations, with notable participants such as defending champion Jasper Stubbs of Australia and top-ranked players from China, Vietnam, and Japan. Eight players in this year’s field have been named to the 2024 Junior Presidents Cup International Team.
Past competitors of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship include renowned players like Hideki Matsuyama, a two-time winner of the event and the 2021 Masters champion, and Cameron Smith, the 2022 Open champion. Over the Championship’s history, participants have gone on to achieve success on the PGA Tour and various other tours, with alumni winning a total of 27 tournaments on the PGA Tour and over 130 across different tours. Japan, as the host nation, will have 10 players competing in this year’s event.
The Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship has been a launchpad for many top players, including Matsuyama, Smith, and others like Cameron Davis, Si Woo Kim, and Keita Nakajima, who won the 2021 event. The event’s venue, Taiheiyo Club Gotemba, features a hillside course with stunning views of Mount Fuji. The course, designed by Shunsuke Kato and renovated in 2018 under the consultation of Hideki Matsuyama, has hosted several international events, showcasing its significance in the world of golf.
The Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship provides young golfers like Rayan Ahmed and Abdulla Kalbat with an excellent opportunity to showcase their skills on a global platform. With a chance to compete against top players from the region and potentially earn invitations to prestigious tournaments, the significance of this event cannot be understated. As the countdown to the championship begins, golf enthusiasts eagerly anticipate seeing these promising talents in action at the Taiheiyo Club Gotemba in Japan.
