It’s been quite a few months for Qatar’s No.1 golfer Saleh Al Kaabi.
The star of the National Team secured the Silver Medal at the prestigious Arab Golf Championship before playing on the Asian Tour in February after finishing second at a qualifying event in Abu Dhabi. There was more joy for the 27-year-old earlier this month after Al Kaabi led the Qatari team to their second Gold Medal at the GCC Golf Championship while also claiming his third individual title at the 24th edition of the event after shooting 291 over 72 holes, which included a superb six under par second round at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.
This week, Al Kaabi will enjoy the support of a home crowd as he takes on the world’s best in his sixth outing at the Qatar Masters, where he’ll be targeting a piece of history as the first Qatari to make the cut in a DP World Tour event.
You’re playing some great golf right now which resulted in you winning the GCC Golf Championship. How delighted were you to top both the individual and team events?`
I was very happy to win the GCC Golf Championship in Abu Dhabi. Winning the Gold Medal has given me the motivation to do my best in the Qatar Masters this week. It makes me feel very proud to not only secure first in the individual standings for the third time, but also claiming top spot in the team event for the second time.
How much does it mean to represent your country in a DP World Tour event on your doorstep?
It’s an honour for me to be representing Qatar this week and playing against some of the best golfers in the world. This will be my sixth time playing this fantastic event and it’s always such a good experience, where I’ve learnt a lot from the full-time pros. I’ll be heading into this event once again trying to take in as much as I can from these players to help improve my game. I’ll be doing my best out there and trying to make the cut.
You’re very familiar with Doha Golf Club – is it a course that suits your game?
Doha Golf Club has one of the best courses in the Middle East and I’m also lucky to call it my club. They provide everything for us Qataris to play the best golf we possibly can and it’s definitely a course that suits my game. I’m also looking forward to the players seeing the new double-green on the ninth and 18th – it looks really good and a lot more challenging with some of the tough pin positions.
How much have you seen golf develop in Qatar in recent years?
Qatar has been doing a great job giving golfers more opportunities in recent years. This tournament was obviously played at Education City Golf Club for the last two years, which was the second course to open in Qatar after Doha Golf club. There is also a new course being built in the country, which is going to help introduce a lot more Qataris to the game and give us existing golfers a fresh challenge.
Who was your golfing hero when you were growing up?
Tiger Woods. I don’t think anyone in the game has changed it the way he has. He has achieved so much so he will always be my hero, even if he was to quit the game now.
What do you hope to achieve in the game?
My dream in golf is to represent my country in the best possible way and put the Qatar flag right at the very top of the sport. For this week, I’m going to try and make the cut and become the first Qatari to play the final 36 holes at a DP World Tour event.
