Nicholas Beck and Grigor Khachaturov, both members of the Royal Malta Golf Club (RMGC), are in Paphos for the Cyprus Amateur Men’s Open Championship.

The championship will be decided by Stroke Play in a three-day event over 54 holes at the Aphrodite Hills Golf Course, for Rounds 1 and 3, and at the Elea Estate Golf Course, for Round 2.

The Cyprus Open will be played between tomorrow and Sunday with a practice round available today.

Aphrodite Hills measures just less than 6,300 metres off the black tees and is a par 71 with a course rating of 73.2 and a slope rating of 131.

It is, perhaps, most famous for its par-3 seventh hole with a tee shot that must fly over a 180-metre wide gorge to land safely on the green.

The Elea Estate Course is also a par 71 designed by Nick Faldo. It measures 6,194 metres and tends to be wind-swept away from the clubhouse with many a bunker facing the errant shot.

This will be Khachaturov’s first international experience but Beck has represented the country on international level before.

His last showing abroad was in 2009 in Slovakia after narrowly missing out on selection for the Mediterranean Games and World Amateur Championship which were held in Pescara and Turkey respectively in the last couple of years.

While Khachaturov’s trip is self-financed, Beck’s participation is being made possible thanks to the sponsorships from Titleist, ESE Ltd Malta, Tommy Hilfiger and fellow members from the Royal Malta Golf Club.