The 27-year-old Swede started the penultimate round of the Pro-Am circuit’s 15-event season five ahead courtesy of a course record 63 on Tuesday and extended the buffer with a third round 67 at Al Zorah G.C.

Sturehed is -18 through 54-holes with Andrew Marshall (-11) seven back after a 69 and English compatriot Jamie Elson (-9) nine adrift following a 70. More importantly, Elson retains pole-position for the overall title with his closest rival Luke Joy -5 after a 72 and Swede Fredrik From, third in the order of merit rankings heading into the week, -7 following a 70.

Former major champions Michael Campbell and Darren Clarkem, the latter the MENA Tour’s patron, visited Al Zorah Wednesday and will have been mightly impressed by Sturehed scoring. Playing partner Marshall certainly is.

“He is a superb talent,” Marshall said of Sturehed who notched up six of his seven birdies (against two bogeys) Wednesday on the front nine to effectively slam the door on his rivals. “I’m very impressed with his game. He is strong off the tee and accurate with his irons. He has great potential and I absolutely believe he will go far,”

Marshall signed for a third round 69.

Sturehed will understandably stick to a tried method in the final round.

“My game plan is to just play my game and try and make as many birdies possible, and the rest will take care of itself,”

Taylor Carter birdied two of his final three holes as he shot a two-under 70 to stay atop in the amateur division on four-under, two strokes clear of fellow Englishman Sam Hobday with Todd Clements lurking a further back on one-under.

Full scores here 

The post Sturehed strolling with just 18 holes of the 2017 MENA Tour season to play appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Elson had a 10,033 point lead over Joy heading into the penultimate event of the 15-tournament campaign but collected just $394 (and thus points) for a share of 34th place at the Sahara Kuwait Golf Championship, a paltry return for three days hard work.

Joy, meanwhile, banked 6000 greenbacks and as many points for his solo-second finish behind Scot Robert MacIntyre at Saraha Golf & Country Club in Kuwait City. It all means Joy is just 4427 points adrift of Elson heading to Ajman where the $100,000 purse doubles the amount of points normally available.

Victory at Al Zorah would give either Elson or Joy the money title, regardless of where the other finishes. Elson will also get the chequered flag with a top three finish providing Joy places no better than second.

Destiny is, therefore, in Elson’s hands but Joy, fresh from back-to-back runner-up finishes (he lost to Elson in a playoff for the inaugural AYLA Championship in Jordan) sniffs a chance.

“Even though I didn’t get the win [in Kuwait] it was great to be in contention again for the second consecutive week and put some more money on the OOM [order-of-merit] board going into next week’s Tour championship in Ajman,” Joy said. “I’m very happy with how the game is holding up and very much looking forward to getting stuck in next week and see if we can build on the past two weeks.”

Swede Fredrik From and Englishman Andrew Marshall are also still in the fight for the money title and the potentially career-altering opportunities including three European Tour starts, an invite to the PGA Tour’s Dean and Deluca Invitational, a Sunshine Tour card and a place in the final stage of Asian Tour Q-School.

But at 12,084 adrift points adrift, From would need to win at Al Zorah and hope Elson can place no better than 5th and Joy no better than 3rd. Marshall, 14,772 points back, would also need victory and for Joy to finish no better than 4th and Elson no better than 7th.

Here’s the permutations for the top 5 in the order-of-merit race leading into the 72-hole Tour Championship starting Monday:

1. Jamie Elson (England) – Current points: 32,847

– Will win overall title with victory at the Tour Championship
– Wins title with a top three providing Joy finishes no better than 2nd
– If Joy finishes outside the top five, Elson wins title regardless of his finishing position

[divider] [/divider]

2. Luke Joy (England) – Current points 28,420

– Will win overall title with victory at the Tour Championship
– If Joy finishes second, Elson would need to finish no better than 4th
– A third place finish for Joy would mean Elson would have to finish no better than 6th
– If Elson finishes outside top 10, Joy would still need a top three placing to be crowned MENA Tour champion.

[divider] [/divider]

3. MG Keyser (South Africa) – Current points 18,774

– Despite winning back-to-back titles, is not eligible for Tour championship as has only played three events this year. Only the leading 50 professionals and top 10 amateurs who have played at least seven events are eligible.

[divider] [/divider]

4. Fredrik From (Sweden) – Current points 22, 763

Fredrik Form

– To win title would need victory and Elson to finish no better than 6th and Joy no better than 3rd.

[divider] [/divider]

5. Andrew Marshall (England) – Current points 18, 075

– To win title would need victory and Elson to finish no better than 7th and Joy no better than 4th.

[divider] [/divider]

And here’s what’s on the line after the final calculations are done at Al Zorah:

1st
Invites to:
Dean & Deluca Invitational (PGA Tour)
Omega Dubai Desert Classic, Maybank Championship, Hassan II Trophee (European Tour)
Full 2018 card for Sunshine Tour*
Full 2018 card for Asian Development Tour
Asian Tour – Final stage of Q-School

2nd
Invites to:
Omega Dubai Desert Classic, KLM Open (European Tour)
Full 2018 card for Sunshine Tour*
Full 2018 card for Asian Development Tour
Asian Tour – Final stage of Q-School

3rd
Omega Dubai Desert Classic (European Tour)
Full 2018 card for Sunshine Tour*
Full 2018 card for Asian Development Tour
Asian Tour – Final stage of Q-School

4th and 5th
Full 2018 card for Sunshine Tour*

6th to 15th
Sunshine Tour – Final stage of Q-School

Top MENA National
Invite to:
Omega Dubai Desert Classic

Top 60
Mena Tour exemption for 2018

*Pre-qualifying required for Sunshine Tour/European Tour co-sanctioned tournaments.

The post Who needs to do what to win the MENA Tour title? appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The 27-year-old had four birdies going out and three more coming home in a flawless seven-under 63 to edge the English duo of Stuart Archibald and Luke Joy, Scot Daniel Hendry and South African Luke Trocado on the opening day of the MENA Tour’s penultimate event of 2017.

Italian Philip Geerts and Scot Robert MacIntyre moved into a two-way tie for sixth on five-under 65, one ahead of a nine-man group that included two-time MENA Tour winner Andrew Marshall and English amateur champion Todd Clements.

Order of merit leader Jamie Elson signed for a level par 71 to be T-28, two shots Swede Fredrik From who is third in the points race behind as second-placed Joy stole an early march on his rivals.

Fresh from a T-3 finish at last week’s Jordan’s AYLA Golf Championship, Sturehed rode a hot driver in Kuwait City to fall just a shot shy of the course record, jointly held by defending champion Joe Heraty and Chile’s Matias Calderon.

Related: Swede Sturehed fires course record, finds Joy atop the Ayla Golf Championship leaderboard

“I struck the ball very well off the tee and holed some good putts when I needed to and that was the key to going low today,” said Sturehed.

“The course is playing nice and there are plenty of scoring opportunities out there if you can hit the fairways in regulation.”

Archibald finished sixth in Kuwait last year after taking a two-shot lead into the final round and rekindled those found memories by also going bogey-free. “I played some lovely golf. Missed just one green which means I had 17 chances to pick up a shot,” said the 33-year-old Englishman.

“I struggled a bit to get the pace of the greens on the front nine as I had arrived just in time for my tee time, but found the touch as the round wore one. Didn’t miss any green coming home.” s

who finished in a tie for sixth last year after heading into the final round with a two-shot lead.

Perennial contender Joy produced one of the highlights of the day, hitting a 3-iron from 228 yards to within 15 feet on the 9th before duly holing the putt for an eagle-3 en-route to a tidy 64.

“I hit the ball clean throughout the day and putted solidly. The course is nice. Had some good fun out there,” said the Englishman, a two-timer winner on the MENA Tour.

Trocado also had a good day at work, reeling off six birdies, two eagles and three bogeys to put himself firmly in the mix.

England’s Todd Clements continued his purple patch of form with an opening with a 66 to lead the amateur division by a stroke from Switzerland’s Michael Harradine. Saudi Arabia’s Othman Almulla settled for a 75.

Elsewhere, defending champion Heraty slipped into a tie for 46th after carding a 72 while Morocco’s Ahmed Marjan posted a bogey-free 69 as UAE’s Ahmed Al Musharrekh, three over through 10th, recovered well to sign for a 71.

The post Swede Sturehed fires flawless 63 to lead MENA Tour’s penultimate 2017 stop in Kuwait appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Buamaim’s long-term dream for the tour is, of course, to unearth young, Olympic Games-quality Arab stars, but he couldn’t grumble at the quality of Barker’s golf Monday, a sizzling 66 helping the 19-year-old South African open up a two shot lead at the Golf Citizen Abu Dhabi Open.

MJB will also be heartened by the hot streak Todd Clements is currently riding after the English amateur eased into second place with a 68. Eight players share third after 69s, the tour’s most decorated player in Zane Scotland and the producer of Monday’s shot of the day, South African Wayne Stroebel, among them. Stroebel holed a wedge on the 141-yard par 3 13th for his first career ace.

But the day belonged to Barker who opened his round with three successive birdies, was five under through seven and added further gains on the 13th and 16th to cancel out a lone bogey on the 10th.

“Everything flowed quite smoothly out there. I struck the ball beautifully, putted nicely and my approaches were relatively close, creating plenty of birdie opportunities,” said Barker, a professional barely a year who is playing Yas Links on a special MENA Tour invitation.

“I had a lot of fun playing on this course, which is in great condition and look forward to having some more good times in the next two rounds.”

Jamie Elson, meanwhile, made the early move in the all-important pro order of merit race. The Englishman signed for a two under 70, three shots better than Swede Fredrik From, the only man above him in the points standings save for South African MG Keyser who has abandoned his OOM hopes to chase a Asian Tour card in Malaysia.

Yas Links-attached Luke Joy has ground to make up after an opening 74 while English compatriot Andrew Marshall remains in the OOM conversation after a 71.

Playing in his second MENA Tour event in three weeks this season, former Open champion Darren Clarke carded a solid 70.

After finishing tied second with Rayhan Thomas at The Dubai Creek Open and 17th at last week’s Golf Citizen Classic at The Els, Clements needs another strong week to zero in on the top 50 of the World Amateur Golf Rankings. The 21-year-old Essex lad, currently ranked 64th, has started his mission strongly by mixing five birdies with a solitary bogey on the 15th.

“I started off well, making four birdies in the first seven holes and that set pretty much the tone for the round,” Clements said. “I played good, solid golf and made no major mistakes which was the key.”

Clements leads the amateur battle by two shots from Kenyan Agil Is-hag (70). Englishman Taylor Carter (71) is third while and Saudi Arabia’s Othman Almulla, England’s Robert Horridge and the UAE’s Khalid Yousuf shared fourth after even par 72s.

Ahmed Skaik was the next best of the UAE national team players with a 75 but the remainder of local contingent now have a very clear line in the sand with regards the level required to compete on the MENA Tour.

Ahmed Al Musharrekh, playing in the company of former Ryder Cup captain Clarke, left himself a mountain to climb after dropping six shots in his last five holes en-route to a six-over 78 while Abdalla Al Musharrekh carded an 84 (+12) and Sohail Al Marzooqi a 19-over 91.

For full scoreboard, click here

The post South African teen fires 66 to lead Golf Citizen Abu Dhabi Open as Yousuf leads UAE challenge at Yas Links appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
Fredrik From would dearly love to be the player to snap the MENA Tour’s streak of first-time winners when he tees it up in the Golf Citizen Classic at The Els Club, Dubai on Monday.

The 27-year-old Swede took full advantage of the absence of Jamie Elson and Luke Joy from last week’s Dubai Creek Open, leapfrogging the Englishmen all the way to the summit of the developmental circuit’s order-of-merit standings courtesy of a T-4 finish.

South African MG Keyser captured his maiden MENA Tour title following a tense battle with Junior Presidents Cup-bound teen Rayhan Thomas to become the 10th new winner in as many events this season.

From, who won the weather-shortened Pattana Golf Championship in May thanks to a closing 63, will be aware there is no better time to change that at The Els, especially with Joy against absent as he contests the multi-tournament first stage of European Tour Q-School in Austria.

Related: No KLM Open Joe as Luke eyes European Tour Q-School

Elson, however, is back and certainly wouldn’t mind keeping the first-timers streak rolling.  The 36-year-old Englishmen brings form with him to Dubai having advanced to the second stage of European Q-school courtesy of rounds of 70-72-68-72 at Roxburghe Hotel and Golf Course in Kelso, Scotland last week to finish T-11 at -6 (the top 22 advanced).

Related: Elson eyes the MENA Tour’s big prize

From can also anticipate a tough fight from Keyser who established the Creek course record of 61 last Monday (a -10 score emulated by Thomas the very next day). The South African is clearly comfortable going low, having recently looped The Els in 62 strokes in a friendly game.

MG Keyser arrives at The Els fresh from victory at last week’s Dubai Creek Open.

“I love this Els course and know what it takes to string together a low round. Hopefully, local knowledge will come in handy,” said Keyser, who considers the Els his “home club” and is playing the MENA Tour on a special Tour invitation.

“The confidence is there as I have been playing some good, solid golf for the last six months or so. I am really enjoying playing on the MENA Tour [but] there are a plenty of quality players who all can win on their day.”

Zane Scotland, handed the tour’s first and thus far only lifetime exemption during last season’s Omega Dubai Desert Classic, will play after withdrawing from the Creek last week with a reoccurrence of a back injury. The Englishman, who holds a record 10 MENA Tour titles, last won at the 2016 Royal Golf Mohammed Open in Morocco.

Also confirmed are 2016 OOM champion Craig Hinton and fellow Englishmen Andrew Marshall, Jake Shepherd and Lee Corfield, who all have all won a minimum of two MENA Tour titles previously.

England’s Todd Clements, T-2 with Thomas last week, will be the amateur to watch this week with Thomas headed for New Jersey for the Sept 25-26 Junior Presidents Cup. Saudi Arabia’s Othman Almulla, who emerged as the best amateur from the MENA region last week, and the UAE’s Ahmed Al Musharrekh will be the Arab players under the microscope in a event that attracted 130 entries (including 30 amateurs) from 26 countries.

The post From brings form to Golf Citizen Classic at The Els, Dubai appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

This time a year ago Thomas was the 1050^th ranked amateur in the world but an historic victory in his home Dubai Creek Open sparked a memorable run of form that sees the 17-year-old return to defend the MENA Tour title 1000 places better off in 50^th on the warg.com list.

Related content: Clarke would love his golf to do the talking at Dubai Creek Open but promises a good yarn either way

Thomas is understandably bullish about his defence given his intimate knowledge of Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club and his giddy run of form leading into the $50,000 event, including making his maiden professional tournament cut at February’s Dubai Desert Classic and a charge to the semifinals of the recent U.S. Junior Amateur.

Those results helped the correspondence-schooled Indian, who doesn’t turn 18 until November, seal the No.1 spot in Trevor Immelman’s International team for the inaugural Junior Presidents Cup later this month. It has also centred attention on the teen as he prepares to tee it up with Clarke in the first round of the 54-holer at 11.10am on Monday. Not that Thomas seemed overly phased as he joined the 2016 Ryder Cup captain for a preview press conference on Sunday.

“For sure I know this course like the back of my hand and I guess when you’ve done it once, it’s a little more comfortable situation,” Thomas said of his title defence. “Yeah, I think my chances are very good, I’m playing very well…we’ll see Wednesday.”

Related content: Rayhan Thomas can’t lose at Junior Presidents Cup

The measured confidence wasn’t lost on Clarke who, as patron of the MENA Tour, has watched Thomas’ progress closely. The DCGYC member coincidently finished leading amateur in the Clarke’s only other start on the development circuit at the 2015 RAK Classic.

“I think we all know where his game could be headed. Rayhan’s obviously a very special talent,” said Clarke who will also be partnered with Swede Fredrik From, the winner of tour’s weather-curtailed Pattana Golf Championship in May, in Monday’s opening round.

Rayhan Thomas, tournament director Robbie Williams, Darren Clarke and Dubai Golf’s Christopher May pose ahead of Monday’s Dubai Creek Open.

“To win here last year as he did, it’s not that easy for amateurs to win any professional tournament, I don’t care where you are in the world, that’s another marker in his career.”

But as Thomas’ ranking has plummeted, Clarke has seen expectations soar and has urged for patience as he serves his amateur apprenticeship.

“I know his coach, Justin Parsons, really, really well and I know he’s really excited with that Rayhan is achieving as well but you know, with what he has achieved and the way he is going, it’s very easy to heap pressure on him, you’re going to do this and you’re going to do that.

“Rayhan is still a young man and has a huge future so if things don’t quite go as well for him for a week or two, he just has to go practice and keep working on what he’s doing.

“You’ve got some of the best facilities in the world here and Rayhan has made the most of them. His progress is what you’d expect from a man of his talent. I’m sure he’ll enjoy the Junior Presidents Cup, looking for bigger and better things and it’s a stepping-stone to the bigger Presidents Cup.”

Thomas, Clarke and From are off at 11.10am. With reigning order of merit leader Jamie Elson playing at the first stage of European Tour school in Scotland and second-placed Luke Joy teeing it up in the KLM Dutch Open, it is a big week for Englishman Andrew Marshall.

Related content: Elson has his eyes on the prize

Off at 11.40am alongside countryman Lee Corfield and Joshua White, Marshall is third on the OOM (just ahead of From) and will be looking to make up ground in the absence of Elson and Joy.

[divider] [/divider]

2017 MENA Tour – Post summer schedule
Sept 11-13: The Dubai Creek Open
Venue: at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club. Purse: US$50,000

Sept 18-20: The Golf Citizen Classic
Venue: Els Club Dubai. Purse: US$30,000

Sept 25-27: The Golf Citizen Abu Dhabi Open
Venue: Yas Links GC. Purse: US$50,000

Oct 5-7: Jordan’s Ayla Golf Championship
Venue: Ayla Golf Resort (Aqaba). Purse: US$50,000

Oct 16-18: The Sahara Kuwait Golf Championship
Venue: Sahara Golf & County Club. Purse: US$50,000

Oct 23-26: The MENA Tour Championship
Venue: Al Zorah GC (Ajman). Purse: $100,000

Completed events
March 6-9: 2017 Qualifying School, El Jadida Golf Club, Morocco
Winner – Jack Doherty (SCO)

March 14-16: Palmeraie Country Club Casablanca Open
Winner – Leo Lilja (SPN)

March 19-21: Royal Golf Mohammedia Open
Winner – Pierre Junior Verlaar (NED/Amateur)

April 24-26: Ras Al Khaimah Classic
Winner – Peter Stojanovski (AUS)

Thailand Swing
May 2-4: Mahasamutr Masters
Winner – Jazz Janewattananond (THAI)

May 8-10: Mountain Creek Open by Golf Citizen
Winner – Lionel Weber (FRA)

May 16-19: Pattana Golf Championship*
Winner – Fredrik From (SWE)

South African Swing
June 7-9: South to East Challenge
Winner – Breyten Meyer (RSA)

June 13-15: Jo’burg City Masters
Winner – Jaco Prinsloo (RSA)

June 20-22: The Roar
Winner – Daniel Hammond (RSA)

*72-hole event reduced to 36 holes due to inclement weather

The post Thomas is a “very special talent” but ease up on the pressure, says Darren Clarke appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Had it not been for American 15-year-old Victoria Tip-Aucha’s historic appearance in Hau Hin, Thomas’ return to the MENA Tour would have undoubtedly generated the main interest ahead of the $50,000 MahaSamutr Masters at Banyan GC.

Regardless of how Tip-Aucha fares as the developmental tour’s female pioneer, Thomas’ performance will garner much attention after his growing reputation enabled the Dubai-based Indian amateur No.1 to bypass the first three events of the season for better things – the very purpose of the MENA Tour.

RELATED CONTENT
American teen set for historic MENA Tour start in Thailand

Thomas created headlines when he made the cut at February’s Dubai Desert Classic and played alongside 2016 Masters champion Danny Willett in the final round. It followed a practice round tee time with Rickie Fowler in Abu Dhabi and earned the teen a late invite to the Hero Indian Open, his fourth European Tour start (after playing the Qatar Masters in 2016).

Since then Thomas has focused on the prestigious Junior Invitational at Sage Valley GC near Augusta National where a closing 68 saw him finish a credible T13 in what is widely regarded as the world’s leading junior tournament.

The invaluable U.S. experience, coupled with his emergence in Thailand last season when he finished second at the Mountain Creek Open and third at the MahaSamutr Masters, has Thomas raring for this week’s 54-holer.

“It feels good to return to golf courses where you have enjoyed some good finishes,” said Thomas who kicked on from Thailand to become the MENA Tour’s first amateur winner at his home Dubai Creek Open last September.

“I have been working very hard with my coach Justin Parsons and the good thing is that I am feeling confident about my game.”

Thomas won’t have it all his own way in Thailand, of course. Englishman Zane Scotland, a 10-time winner, is back after a back injury saw him skip last week’s Ras Al Khaimah Classic. Bahrain-based Daniel Owen will look to rebound from a disastrous final round 82 at Tower Links after leading through 36-holes with a pair of 66s.

Other notable contenders include Lee Corfield, Craig Hinton and Andrew Marshall, all multiple winners on the tour, and cricketer-turned-golfer Craig Kieswetter, who graduated from the tour’s qualifying school earlier this year.

They’ll all be mindful of Wolmer Murillo, the 36-year-old Venezuelan star who won the Mountain Creek Open by Golf Citizen by three shots and followed it up with a second-place finish in the MahaSamutr Masters a week later when the tour travelled to Thailand for the first time in 2016.

Murillo, who is attached to Banyan Golf Club, will be keen to pick up where he left off last year, but will have to contend with a 139-player field including 13 MENA Tour winners. The tournament will have a distinct Thai flavour with a strong home contingent of 25 golfers.

UAE’s Ahmed Al Musharrekh will spearhead the challenge in the MENA Division, confident of racking up some good results.

“I am working on certain aspects of my game and hope to get things dialed in sooner than later. It’s always a work in progress,”Al Musharrekh said.

The post Rayhan Thomas ready for 2017 MENA Tour bow appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The Bahrain-based 27-year-old touring professional will take a five stroke lead into the final round of the Ras Al Khaimah Classic on Wednesday over a group of five players including three-time MENA Tour winner and European tour veteran Stephen Dodd.

Dodd (70-67) was joined by joint overnight leader Max Williams (66-71), fellow Englishmen Jordan Garnish (68-69) and Jamie Elson (71-66) and Australia’s Peter Stojanovski (68-69) at -7.

After mixing two eagles and five birdies against three bogeys in Monday’s opening round, Royal Golf Club-aligned Owen had his driver going to rattle off six birdies in a flawless six-under circuit to be -12 for the tournament.

“I have been coming here since 2011 and know the course pretty well. It suits my eye. I did miss a couple of greens, but never really got into much trouble. I gave myself good opportunities and made a few putts,” Owen said of his sizzling second round on a steamy RAK day.

Owen will be looking to kick on after racking up a string of top five finishes on the tour.

“Obviously, it’s hard to ignore where I am, but at the same time the game plan doesn’t change. I will try and make some early birdies to kind of settle the nerves and, hopefully, get the job done this time around.”

As a three-time European Tour winner Dodd, who mixed six birdies with a lone bogey on the tough 3rd hole in his second-round 67, stands as a significant threat to Owen.

The Welshman made his European Senior Tour debut at the Senior Open Championship last July and went on to win the 2016 Senior Italian Open, a feat which showed his hunger remains as keen as ever.

Elsewhere, Spain’s Francisco Perez and England’s Paul Dwyer, who were among a four-way tie for the lead overnight, left themselves with work to do after carding respective rounds of 73 and 72 to be at -6.

England’s Lee Corfield, a four-time winner on the MENA Tour, moved into a tie for 10^th on -5 after a second round 71, one ahead of Craig Hinton, the winner of the 2016 MENA Tour Order of Merit title, as experienced Andrew Marshall settled for a tied 17^th after a shooting a two-under 70.

England’s Todd Clements carded a 69 to top the amateur division on -3, four shots ahead of Switzerland’s Dubai-based Michael Harradine, who backed his opening 71 with a 74.

UAE’s Ahmed Al Musharrekh returned a second-round 75 for 36-hole total of seven-over-par 151, missing the cut, which was made at two over, by five shots. A total of 54 professionals and nine amateurs have made it to the final round.

The post Bahrain-based Englishman Daniel Owen takes five stroke lead into RAK Classic’s final round appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

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.

The post Dutch prodigy Pierre Junior Verlaar becomes second amateur to win on the MENA Tour appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Moroccan professional Faycal Serghini expects the biggest bombers in the 136-strong field will have an advantage at Palmeraie Country Club but is confident the $US40,000 Casablanca Open will ultimately be decided on the greens.

Patience is often a virtue with the flat stick but Serghini believes it will be even more so this week as the Palmeraie putting surfaces are still bedding in.

“The course is fairly wide open and will definitely favour the long hitters if they can hit the fairways, but the greens will be tough to read since they are too young and tricky,” said Serghini who has played the course many times since its opening six months ago.

“You can always expect the unexpected as it will be the first professional event on this course, but I do feel players will have fun playing on this course which provides a fair test of shot-making skills.”

Serghini, who runs a golf academy in his native Casablanca, is a three-time MENA Tour runner-up but believes his game ready for the first event of the developmental tour’s season.

“Like the golf course, my game is also in great shape. I am working hard on my putting and if it clicks I can expect good scores,” he said.

The season’s first field includes 19 amateurs and players from 25 countries including defending order of merit champion Craig Hinton and fellow Englishmen Zane Scotland, Luke Joy, Andrew Marshall and Joshua White.

A notable absentee at the 6571-yard Palmeraie Country Club will be Rayhan Thomas with the Dubai amateur taking the week off after missing the cut in this week’s Hero Indian Open on the European Tour.

Thomas, who created history by becoming the first amateur to win a MENA Tour event at his home Dubai Creek Open last September, is scheduled to make his 2017 debut at next week’s Royal Golf Mohammedia Open, also in Casablanca.

The post Putting patience will be key in Casablanca says Moroccan MENA Tour star Serghini appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.