Shaikh Rashid Trophy entries close on Thursday

Entries for the highlight of the UAE’s local golfing calendar, The Shaikh Rashid Trophy, close at midnight on Thursday. The annual flagship 54-hole event will be held in two rounds over the Els Club and at Al Badia Golf Club, before a final at Jebel Ali Golf Resort from November 22 to 24. In the absence of defending champion Daniel Hendry and 2010 winner Michael Harradine, the coveted trophy will be lifted by a new champion. The maximum handicap limit for the strokeplay event played over championship tees is 18, with the draw for round two being made in gross order with the leaders out last. The top 30 and ties after the second round will make the cut to play in the final round. Being a qualifier for World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), it will be a walking tournament for all three rounds. “Entries have gathered momentum in the final week before the event and we hope to see a full field as the deadline closes,” said Khalid Mubarak Al Shamsi, secretary-general of the Emirates Golf Federation. “The maximum field is restricted to 100 players. In the event of over-subscription, a handicap ballot will be applied. We request all golfers who wish to sign up for the event to do so at the soonest.” The Shaikh Rashid Trophy offers EGF Order of Merit points to resident amateurs who finish within the top 20 places. The prestigious event is sponsored by Jebel Ali Golf Resort and supported by Gulf News and Ernst & Young. From Gulfnews