Dubai, UAE: Louis Klein of Czechia got his hands on the Junior Dubai Desert Classic trophy after firing a Junior Course Record 9-under 63 in the second round and posting an impressive total of 15-under par over three days of intense action at Emirates Golf Club.
The iconic venue played host to the next generation of stars, aged 18 and under, as they competed in the 54-hole tournament hosted by the Hero Dubai Desert Classic in collaboration with the Emirates Golf Federation, which this year boasted World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) status for the first time.
A total of 64 boys and girls from across the world played under the lights of the Faldo Course for the first two rounds, before the top 30 players and ties went head-to-head over the immaculately manicured Majlis Course, just days before the game’s elite tee off on the same track for the 36th edition of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
Klein finished the third edition of the tournament, which gives junior golfers a taste of what it’s like to play in a world-class event, at the summit of the leaderboard after carding rounds of 69 and 63 on the Faldo Course, before a final-round 69 on the Majlis got him over the line. His record-breaking second round, under the floodlights of the of the Faldo Course, was the pick of the bunch, featuring a spellbinding run of six consecutive birdies from the seventh hole, setting up an eight-stroke victory over his nearest challenger.
Norway’s Daniel Nilsson posted a three-round total of 7-under 209 to take the runner-up spot while Pritish Karayat of India finished level-par 216 to secure third place.
The youngsters were presented with their prizes in a ceremony that was attended by DP World Tour star, Richie Ramsay, Simon Corkill, Executive Tournament Director of Hero Dubai Desert Classic and Walid Al Attar of the Emirates Golf Federation.
“It’s an amazing feeling to win the Junior Dubai Desert Classic, one of the best junior events in the UAE,” said the 15-year-old who has been playing since he was five years old and revealed that his next goal is to make the Junior Ryder Cup team. “It was an incredible three days with three pretty good rounds. It’s hard for me to play under the lights because I wear glasses, so it took a while to get used to it on the first day. The second day, nothing really went wrong – I hit 18 greens, almost hit every fairway and my putting was good as well.”
In addition to banking WAGR® points and lifting the trophy, which is a smaller version of the iconic Dallah Trophy given to the winner of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, Klein won a Callaway Tour Custom Fit Experience and invites into the Faldo Series Grand Final, Shubhankar Sharma Junior Series Final, the JAGA Grand Final and a Clutch Pro Tour event, thanks to the Emirates Golf Federation.
Simon Corkill, Executive Tournament Director of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, added: “We are thrilled to once again showcase the incredible talent and determination of golf’s future stars.
“Events like these are vital in providing young golfers with opportunities to elevate their game, and it’s inspiring to see them rise to the challenge on a world-class stage. Congratulations to Louis on this fantastic achievement – we look forward to seeing their journey in the years ahead.”
Focus now turns to the 36th staging of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, which will play host to a plethora of the game’s star names from Thursday, January 16.
Defending champion Rory McIlroy will be joined by two-time Major Champion Jon Rahm, who makes his Hero Dubai Desert Classic debut, while the likes of Viktor Hovland, Akshay Bhatia, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Luke Donald and Patrick Reed are just a select few of the world-class field heading to the ‘Major of the Middle East’.
