UAE youngster Joel Neale tees it up against some of the world’s top junior golfers this weekend, inspired by watching Lee Westwood’s Dubai World Championship masterclass last weekend.

The 18-year-old Dubai-based golfer will battle the best from Great Britain and Ireland in the Abu Dhabi Junior Championship on the  National Course.

The tournament, formerly the Daily Telegraph Junior Championship, is regarded as the springboard for many would-be golf stars and former winners include 2007 European Tour Order of Merit champion Justin Rose.

After tracking Westwood’s Earth conquest last weekend, +1 handicapper Neale is hoping to use this weekend’s event to develop his own game.

“This is a great opportunity to play with some of the top juniors on my home turf, and will give me valuable experience,” Neale told 7DAYS.

“Seeing Lee Westwood play (at Jumeirah Golf Estates) was very inspiring - he has tremendous belief and a very positive mentality.”

Neale is hoping his local knowledge can pay off.

“I usually go back to the UK to play in similar tournaments with very different weather conditions, so I’m hoping to finish a bit higher than normal in Abu Dhabi,” he added. “I’ve played the National Course twice a year for the last two years so I feel pretty comfortable. I do think it will give me a slight advantage but the other players will adapt very quickly so I need to get a good score on the board.”

The action begins with a challenge match between the GB and Ireland and 21 UAE youngsters tomorrow.

The tournament starts on Friday, and ends on Sunday.