Al Musharrekh brothers put their stamp on Saadiyat golf tournament

With the help of Khalid Yousuf, Ahmed and Hassan narrowly clinch the UK v UAE Challenge Match.

The UAE staved off a stiff challenge from the United Kingdom team to narrowly clinch the UK v UAE Challenge Match at the Saadiyat Beach Golf Club.

Led by Khalid Yousuf and the Al Musharrekh brothers, Ahmed and Hassan, the home side won 6.5 to 5.5 in the event, which followed the four-ball, better-ball format. Joel Neale, who recently turned professional, and Alison White recorded the biggest win of the day when they thumped Andrew Coltart and Hayley Davis 5-and-3 to set the tone for the home side on the Gary Player-designed course.

The Al Musharrekh brothers made their presence felt, clinching their respective ties with ease. Ahmed, who plays off a plus-three handicap, combined with Rory Blincow to beat Rod Gilmour and Oliver Carr 3-and-2, while Hassan, paired with James Sayer, accounted for Brogan Townend and Lesley Atkins 3-and-1.

The UAE duo of Lindsay Brown and Franco Botha were too good for the UK pairing of Amy Boulden and Samantha Giles, winning 2-and-1, matching the performance of their teammates, Harley Knight and Dale Marmion, who defeated Jack Singh Brar and Alex Gleeso.

Callum Mills and Eoin Cunliffe further consolidated the UAE position with a slip verdict against James Newton and Ben Anderson.

Bilal Bilaid and Jonny McLeod halved their match with Jimmy Mullen and William Pennington after their match ended all square.

Daniel Hendry, the winner of the recent Sheikh Rashid Trophy, and Sana Tufail suffered a shock defeat against Lauren Taylor and Oliver Walsh, but it did not keep the UAE from victory.