The inaugural National Bank of Oman Classic will give two invitations to the leading amateurs from the PAN-Arab Golf Championship, to be played at Dreamland in Cairo, Egypt from June 25-28.
The National Bank of Oman Classic will make its debut on the European Challenge Tour schedule from October 24-27, 2013 at Almouj Golf The Wave, Muscat.
Adel Zarouni, Chairman of the Arab Golf Federation, said: “The National Bank of Oman should be congratulated for breaking new ground in sponsoring the first professional golf championship to be played in Oman, and the first European Challenge Tour event in the GCC.
“The Arab Golf Federation welcomes the invitation from the National Bank of Oman for the leading two amateurs from the forthcoming 33rdPAN-Arab Golf Championship to compete in the National Bank of Oman Golf Classic.
“Golf in Oman is certainly gathering pace and to host a European Challenge Tour event so early in the golfing history of the Sultanate is a considerable achievement for the National Bank of Oman and all concerned with the Championship.
“The Arab Golf Federation wishes the National Bank of Oman Golf Classic every success.”
The PAN-Arab Golf Championship is contested by 15 teams of four players, with the best three scores from each team counting for each of the four days of the tournament. Additional players can also compete in the Individual Division.
The teams taking part include Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, KSA, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Qatar, Syria, Tunisia and UAE.
The sponsor’s invitations to the National Bank of Oman Golf Classic further increases the participation of Arab nationals in the tournament following the acceptance of the Bank’s invitations to the leading two players in the 2013 GCC Golf Championships played at Almouj Golf The Wave in February - Qatar’s Ali Al Bishi and Bahrain’s Hamad Mubarak.
The Omani team selected for the PAN-Arab Championship has the youngest average age of any Omani team ever to participate in the event, comprising Azaan Al Rumhy, his younger brother Hamad, Ali Hameed and Ahmed Balushi, the junior who won the Silver Medal at the GCC Golf Championship at Almouj Golf earlier this year.
Oman’s leading amateur, Azaan Al Rumhy, who has accepted a sponsor’s invitation to play in the National Bank of Oman Golf Classic, said: “It’s our youngest team but I’m confident we’ll do well in Egypt. This will be the first time Ahmed has played for the Oman national team and I’m proud that all four team members are from my club, Ghala Valley.”
Ahmed Al Musharrekh, who was the leading amateur in the UAE until he turned professional last year, has also confirmed his acceptance of the sponsor’s invitation from the National Bank of Oman.
Bill Longmuir, an eight times winner on the European Senior Tour who has a long-term relationship with golf in Oman, is one of up to 20 professionals who will be competing in the National Bank of Oman Golf Classic through sponsor’s invites from the National Bank of Oman, who have also offered The MENA Tour invitations to their leading professionals and amateur.
