A landmark UAE acquisition has triggered the launch of a new global force in amateur golf, with more than 2,300 players across two continents now competing under a single league structure — and a multi-billion dollar market firmly in its sights
Feisal Nahaboo, the British founder of the European Players Super League (EPSL) has acquired Sport2Business (S2B), the UAE-based events company run by former KPMG executive Russell Yeomans and his son James, to form the World Players Super League (WPSL), a cross-continental tour boasting more than 2,300 amateur players across the UK and UAE.
Billed as one of the largest and unique deals of its kind in the amateur game, the merger positions the WPSL as a leading force in a $50 billion global market that industry insiders say has been left wide open by the narrow focus of elite pro tours.
The WPSL will operate across all of the United Arab Emirates, with more than 100 tournaments each year at prestigious courses including Yas Links, Trump International, The Els Club, The Majlis, the Montgomerie, Dubai Hills, Al Zorah and Al Hamra to name a few. Players will compete under a unified league structure, with a points system rewarding the best five rounds each season.
According to Nahaboo, WPSL members will include more than 350 UAE-based Senior Executives, among a wider base of high-net-worth individuals. The organisers see this not only as a playing cohort but as a springboard for commercial partnerships, corporate sponsorships, and strategic investment as the league expands internationally.
“For us, this is not just a strategic move — it’s a step through the front door into the heart of the Middle East,” Nahaboo told The European. “We’re gaining influence and access, building trusted partnerships, and reshaping the future of amateur golf. This is just the beginning of our journey.”
Nahaboo believes the amateur market holds untapped potential far greater than the professional circuit. “While the Middle East has been globetrotting, acquiring top golf pros and prized assets, they’ve overlooked a treasure trove: world amateur golf,” he added.
“We believe the world amateur market is worth substantially more — over $50 billion. That’s because amateurs buy golf holidays, buy golf equipment and apparel, buy merchandise and experiences. There are approximately 65 million amateurs worldwide — compared with perhaps 100,000 pros, 40 percent of whom are in the US and UK.
“The UK has taken notice of our momentum for the past year and watched our strategy unfold day by day. Meanwhile, many golf business owners watch from the sidelines as few pioneers create value, while others struggle to make ends meet.
“The golf market is highly saturated, and world amateur golf consolidation is on the horizon. We’re at the forefront of this shift and poised to capitalise on the opportunities that lie ahead.”
Russell Yeomans, the newly appointed CEO of the WPSL, brings decades of global leadership experience to the role. A former Director at KPMG, he went on to build a $35 million executive recruitment firm in the Asia-Pacific region, before founding Sport2Business, the leading amateur golf tour operator in the UAE.
The introduction to EPSL was facilitated by its tournament manager, Jim White, who brought parties together to explore synergies between the UK and UAE tours.
“Feisal is a force of nature,” Yeomans said. “He’s a man of micromanagement, working on details and systems, and he’ll only ever delegate work to a growing workforce when he is ready. Who are we to argue with him? He has proven his ability to create a vision, create value for clients and business owners but execute business plans and exponential growth through proven systems and processes – what he achieved through Xeinadin is quite simply amazing and inspirational – we are excited about a similar journey across the golfing landscape.
“Our involvement now with the European Players Super League, forming the World Players Super League, is very exciting. We’re amalgamating for potentially a significant investment from sophisticated investors and passionate golfers in due course. The key is to create great experiences, value and community for passionate Amateur golfers across the globe – the potential is huge – we have no concern about that at all.”
His son James Yeomans, who already co-manages over 80 amateur events annually in the UAE, added: “Our players will cross-fertilise across each country’s tournaments that we acquire. I’m puzzled that organisations like LIV are focused on narrow, focused models by working with an elite small number of pros. They’re basically leaving the entire market of amateurs — 99% of the balance — to the likes of EPSL/WPSL to go at. And we are.”
For Nahaboo, the WPSL is the logical extension of the consolidation model he used to build Xeinadin — the accountancy group he founded in 2018 and grew through the acquisition of 122 independent practices across the UK and Ireland. Named after his two eldest children, Zein and Nadine, the firm reportedly reached a valuation of €1.1 billion within seven years and attracted bids from major private equity houses.
That same approach is now being applied to the golf industry. Since its launch, the EPSL has gained more than 20 million followers through its celebrity ambassadors and built a YouTube subscriber base of 300,000 in just 30 weeks. Now, with the addition of Sport2Business and a growing stable of amateur tours across multiple territories, the WPSL is being positioned as a future market leader.
“We’ve built a league where pros and amateurs play together, on the same courses, off the same tees, using the same handicap system,” Nahaboo said. “The cooperation between the European Players Super League and Sport2Business, now the World Players Super League, is potentially one of the most exciting mergers in world amateur golf history. This deal adds a huge missing piece to our jigsaw puzzle.”
While the EPSL has refused to comment on speculation around a stock market flotation, insiders say the organisation is actively pursuing acquisitions of amateur golf tours across key international markets. The possibility of private equity investment is also understood to be under consideration, as the league expands its global footprint and prepares for what Nahaboo calls “high-value transactions”.
With global interest in golf soaring post-COVID — and memberships at top clubs commanding record fees — the amateur sector appears increasingly attractive to investors. Market watchers note that valuations for roll-up models in adjacent industries have reached as high as 12 to 13 times EBITDA, with some seeing similarities to the Xeinadin Group’s growth trajectory. If the WPSL’s model continues to perform, similar multiples are seen as realistic.
For now, the focus remains on expansion, consolidation and creating a platform that both welcomes amateur players and leverages their commercial value. As Russell Yeomans put it: “This is just the beginning.”
Main image: Feisal Nahaboo, founder of the European Players Super League, has unveiled the new World Players Super League following a major merger with UAE-based Sport2Business. Credit: Feisal Nahaboo
