Abu Dhabi girl now shining bright in the US
Sana Tufail looking forward to a busy season ahead
Sana Tufail, formerly a junior golf star from Abu Dhabi, has dominated the local junior girl’s golf scene.
Gulf News caught up with the 25-year-old who is now based in the US.
■ Tell us about your golfing history, especially in the UAE?
My last full season in the UAE was in 2014, after which I travelled to the US on a full Golf Scholarship as a 17 year-old. The previous three seasons I won 31 Ladies EGF Order of Merit Events in the UAE including 17 on the trot over two seasons. I started to play in US Junior International Events in that summer. I did well, which resulted in many ‘Full Ride’ offers (full scholarships) from several US Universities. I chose Old Dominion University (ODU) and I played all 37 events over the four years.
■ How did you take up the game in the UAE and who assisted you in those early days?
My dad would take my brother and myself to the golf range at Abu Dhabi City Golf Club when I was about four years-old. After that, I joined the EGF Junior Golf Program run by Martin Duff back in 2002, who played an enormous part in shaping junior golf in those days, we had all sorts of junior tournaments at all levels all over the UAE.
■ Where and what are you up to now golf wise and career wise?
I completed my Masters in Speech Language Pathology and Special Education in May 2021. Since then, I have worked in Special Education at New England Center for Children (NECC) Boston US. I am very fortunate to work with children of determination in this development environment, they are my inspiration.
After graduating, I moved to Boston Massachusetts and I started to visit the nearby driving range after work. I then played a few more events in the region — managing to secure two runner-up spots in the Francis Ouimet Memorial Invitational and the New England Women’s Amateur Championship, I managed to comfortably secure an LPGA-Epson Tour Ranking to play on Epson Tour events and in Monday Qualifiers for the LPGA.
■ What tournaments are on your immediate schedule?
I have at least four qualifiers set up between now and mid-June as well as a qualifier in Canada for the LPGA Canadian Open and also a Massachusetts qualifier for the US-Women’s Open. It is a balancing act in taking time off work, planning the travelling and fitting in practice rounds to achieve the best possible outcomes.