Dutch teen Pierre Junior Verlaar became just the second amateur to win on the developmental Pro-Am tour when he came from three shots back to capture the Royal Golf Mohammedia Open in style at Royal Golf D’Anfa Club Tuesday.

The 18-year-old got off to a fast start in the final round with six outward nine birdies en-route to a flawless 65 to reach nine-under, 204, for the tournament and finish two shots clear of Morocco’s Ahmed Marjan and England’s Andrew Marshall.

Verlaar follows Thomas who won his home Dubai Creek Open in September while his closing 65 equalled the lowest final round by a winner, matching Joe Heraty’s (England) title-clinching effort at the 2016 Sahara Kuwait Championship.

“I am really very, very happy with the way I finished against a strong field. I think I played some amazing golf on the front nine,” said Verlaar after receiving the winner’s trophy from Fouad Akasbi, president of Royal Golf D’Anfa and Vice President of the Royal Moroccan Golf Federation.

“I may not have picked up a shot on the back nine, but played very steady. The MENA Tour is doing a great job in providing a perfect platform for amateurs likes me to compete alongside professionals which is great,” said Verlaar, who joined the tour last year.

Marshall, who started the final round five shots adrift, matched Verlaar’s 65 to surge up the leaderboard as Marjan, the only Arab winner on the MENA Tour, topped the MENA Division, one shot ahead of his compatriot Mohamed Belaroussia.

Overnight leader Lee Corfield (England) slipped to tied eighth on four under after carding a final round 73 while Zane Scotland, a 10-time winner on the tour, moved into a six-way tie for 43rd after closing with a 75 along with Danny Poulter, the elder brother of European Ryder Cup hero Ian.

Elsewhere, former England cricketer Craig Kieswetter settled for 52nd on +10 after signing for a 77 as Craig Hinton, the winner of the 2016 MENA Tour Order of Merit title, settled for tied 50th on +7, six shots ahead of India’s Rayhan Thomas, who carded a final round 79.

Thomas, for the record, carded rounds of 74-73-79 to finish 56th on 226 and has work to do ahead of the prestigious Sage Valley Junior Invitational in the U.S. in April.

The next event on the MENA Tour schedule is the Ras Al Khaimah Classic at Tower Links Golf Club from April 24-26.

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The 35-year-old, third at last week’s Casablanca Open after holding the 36-hole lead, capitalised on a steady start Sunday to fire a flawless five-under first round 66 at Royal Golf D’Anfa Club.

Corfield leads by two from Engishmen Adam Sagar and Jamie Elson while South African Tyler Hogarty, who won last year’s MENA Tour Championship, also signed for a 68.

Dutchman Pierre Junior Verlaar reeled off five birdies in his last six holes to card a 69 to lead the amateur standings which includes Dubai’s Rayhan Thomas who settled into a tie of 58^th place with a three over 74 in his first start of the season.

Corfield picked up four shots in a stunning three-hole stretch from the 7^th including an eagle on the 9^th before birdieing the final hole.

“I got off to a steady start with six pars in a row and then two birdies and an eagle on the next three holes got my round going,” said Corfield.

“It felt nice to finish with a birdie on the 18th. The course is in great shape though it was a bit tricky out there with the wind blowing. Really happy with my day’s work,” said Corfied, a four-time winner on the MENA Tour.

Hogarty recovered from a double bogey on the 1^st with seven birdies in nine holes in the middle of his round before dropping two further shots to finish the day three under.

Mohamed Belaroussia (Morocco) carded a two-under 69 to lead the MENA Division, one ahead of his compatriots Ahmed Marjan and Mehdi Saissi as Younes El Hassani, the winner of the Arab onours last week, settled for level-par 71.

Elsewhere, defending champion Zane Scotland (England) returned a 71 while Spain’s Leo Lilja, who won the Casablanca Open last week, signed for a 74 to join seasoned Andrew Marshall (England) in a tie for 58th, one ahead of former England cricketer Craig Kieswetter and two clear of Luke Joy on a day when 20 players broke par.

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The 26-year-old Sharjah native is one of 86 players set to contest the MENA Golf Tour’s 54-hole qualifying school in Morocco from Tuesday. A minimum of 50 players will earn cards at the Royal Golf El Jadida course ahead of a 15-event season which culminates in November’s Tour Championship at Al Ain Equestrian, Golf & Shooting Club.

Al Musharrekh turned professional in late 2012 after capturing that season’s GCC Amateur Championship title as well as individual and team gold medals in the 2011 Arab Games. He remains the UAE’s first and only pro but his journey in the paid ranks has been challenging and intermittent after he missed 2015 completing mandatory national service in the UAE Navy.

He’s hoping some recent swing changes and a hardened attitude will hold him in good stead for the three-day Q-school in the picturesque port city of El Jadida on the Atlantic coast of Morocco.

“My lessons with Dong Lee [his Dubai Golf Academy coach] have shown positive progress in my game ranging from my course management and swing to ball striking and overall fitness. I’m more focused, more disciplined,” said Al Musharrekh, who plans to play all the MENA Tour events this season.

“I still have a few kinks which I hope to iron out soon through training and hard work. Each time I step onto the tee, I hope to play better than before.

“Like every player in the field, my goal is to win the tournament. My game is definitely good enough to win, but will take things as they come. One step at a time is good walking.”

Al Musharrekh carries the weigh of a nation on his shoulders and admitted last year that the step-up from amateur golf had been steep, “a huge change”.

“It’s more physically and mentally challenging, on and off the course,” he told Sport 360 at the time.

“It’s not like having a hobby where you’re just a boy and having fun playing, carefree and happy, with nothing on your shoulders. All of a sudden, you turn pro and you’ve got all this expectation, from yourself, but also externally.

“That’s been a huge shift, having to play with that and dealing with stuff off the course, like social media, sponsorships, and having to grow up. It’s something I’ve had to deal with. But we see great examples of this on tour, you see all these young guys thriving and dealing with things in a fantastic way, so it just gives me a push to keep going and see where I get to.”

Al Musharrekh hopes to become the second Arab golfer after Morocco’s Ahmed Marjan to win a MENA Tour event but knows the competition is getting stiffer as the tour grows. This year it includes stops in Morocco, Kuwait, Thailand, South Africa, Oman and the UAE, including the first 72 hole tournament, the US$50,000 Pattana Golf Championship.

The field will play for just $6000 this week (the winner earns $2500) but the opportunity is priceless – for many a pro dream lifeline and others an amateur finishing school.

“The level of competition is becoming more intense, but I am confident I can embrace the challenges and opportunities with a positive attitude.” Al Musharrekh said.

“With world ranking points on offer, I think more and more players from the Arab world will be encouraged to turn professional and contribute to the overall development of the game. Even in the UAE we have some very good golfers with a competitive passion for the game and I do hope they will think about making a career out of doing something they love,” said Ahmed,

Seven amateurs are among the 86 entries signed up for Morocco with England leading the chart with 38 followed by India (nine), Spain (seven) and the United States (six).

The Q-School offers members the opportunity to earn full playing privileges on the tour in addition to becoming eligible for Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points.

Multiple European Tour starts, including the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, the Hassan II Trophy and the Maybank Championship Malaysia in addition to full playing privileges on the Sunshine Tour and exemptions into the final stage of the Asian Tour Q-School for the leading three professionals are some of the added incentives for the MENA Golf Tour members.

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Marjan, who became the first Middle East golfer to win a MENA Golf Tour event at the 2014 Ras Al Khaimah Classic, joins compatriot Younes El Hassani in flying the Arab flag in the European Tour’s longest-running event from February 2-5.

The duo have competed in the Desert Swing decider previously along with the Hassan II Trophy in their homeland so know the step up required to compete at the highest level.

“I missed the cut at Emirates Golf Club last year by one shot, so obviously the first goal is to try and make it to the weekend,” said Marjan who qualified for this year’s Desert Classic courtesy of being the No.1 Arab golfer on the 2016 MENA Golf Tour.

“I just need to relax and go out there and not think about everyone else and just play my own game. We just have to go out there and be positive.”

With Woods, Open champion Henrik Stenson and Masters winner Danny Willett among the field, that will be much easier said than done for Marjan who graduated to the paid ranks after winning the MENA Tour’s Amateur Order-of-Merit title in the inaugural edition of the tour in 2011.

Younes El Hassani – Photo courtesy MENA Golf Tour

El Hassani has been handed a special invitation as part of strong bilateral ties between Desert Classic organisers ‘golf in DUBAi’ and the Hassan II Trophy, which became a full European Tour event in 2010.

“The MENA Golf Tour has been the catalyst for putting Arab golf on the international sporting map. People now know we play golf and we are good at it,” said the 43-year-old Tangiers native.

“I don’t want to get ahead of myself. I will definitely try and give my best shot and see where that leaves me. It’s an opportunity money can’t buy. So, it’s perfect, really,” he added.

MENA Tour Chairman and ‘golf in DUBAi’ supremo Mohamed Juma Buamaim is confident the Moroccans will make a good account of themselves.

“A new generation of Arab golfers is on the rise as reflected in their performance on the MENA Golf Tour this year. All they need is a good competitive environment to take their golf to the next level,” Buamaim said.

“The invitations to the top Arab players to the Omega Dubai Desert Classic are a reward for the hard work they put in during the season. Whatever the outcome, one thing is sure, both Ahmed and Younes will return home richer in experience. I wish them the very best.”

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