By Kent Gray
Todd Clements has waltzed through the final stage of Sunshine Tour Q-School in South Africa but won’t be relinquishing his amateur status immediately.

The MENA Tour’s runaway 2017 amateur order of merit champion finished second of the 108 starters at Randpark G.C. in Johannesburg, a second round eight-under 64 highlighting the brilliant performance in the 90-hole marathon.

However, the 21-year-old still has amateur ambitions, chief among them being selected to represent England at the Eisenhower Trophy in Ireland this September. The world amateur teams championship will be played at Carton House near Dublin from Sept. 5-8 and would be a fitting sign-off to a stellar amateur career which included victory in the 87th English Amateur Championship at The Berkshire last August.

Photo courtesy Sunshine Tour

There is a chance he could cut the amateur umbilical cord in August if he were to miss Eisenhower selection although that appears unlikely barring a massive loss of form. At 18th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR, a spot behind Dubai prodigy Rayhan Thomas), Clements is the highest ranked Englishman and is set to be named in a four-man team for next month’s European Nations Cup in Spain in what is a precursor to Eisenhower selection.

Whenever he turns professional, the Londoner will have options as he eyes the ultimate goal of a 2019 European Tour card. He can take up the Sunshine Tour card at any stage this season and is also likely to play the remodelled MENA Tour which has been shortened to an August-November season with expanded 72 hole (from 54) events offering more prize money and Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points.

Clements opted to play in Joburg for the experience of cut-throat Q-School pressure looking ahead to the European Tour qualifiers, the first stage of which he will automatically skip if he can get his WAGR inside the top 15. He handled the Randpark test with aplomb too, rounds of 67-64-68 and “bad day at the office, it happens” 74 taking him into the final round with a share of the lead. He had led by as many as seven strokes at one stage during the week only for a self diagnosed intercostal muscle strain (rib area) picked up on the range ahead of Friday’s final round seeing him blow out to a closing 75 and second place at -12. He finish four shots behind South African professional Thriston Lawrence (closing 65) and a shot ahead of fellow amateur Louis Albertse (RSA).

“I actually picked up a slight injury in the morning so to go through the pain barrier and get finished and finish second overall was quite a delight actually,” Clements told GolfDigestme.com

“The whole experience exceeded my expectations in all honesty. I went to further my experience in the golfing world so to be able to compete straight away was a delight really. That was the goal, to give myself options when I do turn professional and now I’ve got those options.”

Clements finished leading amateur in seven of the nine events he entered during last season’s MENA Tour including the last six events of the year on the trot. There were runner-up finishes at the Dubai Creek Open (T-2 with Thomas) and Golf Citizen Abu Dhabi Open as he finished 110 points ahead of compatriot Sam Hobday despite playing six fewer events.

The developmental Middle East and North Africa circuit is meant as a finishing school for aspiring pros and is certainly proving its worth in Clements’ case. The Colchester lad seems at ease with his game after one of the most mentally challenging examinations.

Photo courtesy Sunshine Tour

“It’s a longer tournament so your concentration levels have to be a bit higher but I actually found it very similar to any other events which is great,” Clements said of Sunshine Tour Q-School.

“When it comes down to it, you are just playing golf every day whether you’re playing for a living, the Eisenhower, the Nations Cup or European Tour Q-School, you just try and play golf. That was actually quite reassuring that there isn’t much of a difference and if you get that kind of mind set, you can definitely compete.”

Clements intends having the rib injury checked upon his return to London on Monday. He puts it down to overuse after a hectic schedule which included representing Europe in the Bonallack Trophy in Doha a fortnight ago. “Hopefully it’s not too serious,” he said.

Related: Thomas adds Bonallack Trophy to amateur CV

.@ThristonL claims a four-stroke victory over England’s @ClementsTodd at the final stage of qualifying school @RandparkGolf

Read more: https://t.co/z2KnN4zNhR pic.twitter.com/MKvh2wCZcg

— Sunshine Tour (@Sunshine_Tour) March 24, 2018

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The 18-year-old Indian contributed one from a possible three points as his Asia-Pacific team edged Europe 16.5-15.5 in a thrilling finish to the Ryder Cup-style matches at Doha Golf Club in Qatar. It was Asia-Pacific’s first win since 2004.

Europe went into Saturday’s 12-singles matches with a 11-9 advantage but Asia Pacific won the final day 7.5 to 4.5 to sneak home, reportedly on the last hole of the last match.

Sadly for Dubai-based Thomas, he couldn’t contribute on Saturday, beaten 1up by Norwegian Kristoffer Reitan. The Dubai Creek member’s sole point came in Friday’s foursomes when he combined with Gregory Foos to pip Finns Sami Valimaki and Matias Honkala 1up.

Thomas’ friendly MENA Tour rival Todd Clements contributed 2.5 points from a possible five for the Europeans, the English 21-year-old winning his singles match 3&2 over Japan’s Takumi Kanaya on Saturday.

The prestigious event is named in honour of Sir Michael Bonallack, one of Great Britain and Ireland’s (GB&I) greatest ever amateur golfers and former Secretary of The Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews (1984-99).

The post Thomas adds Bonallack Trophy to amateur CV appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
MENA Tour stars Rayhan Thomas and Todd Clements endured a tough day personally although the former ended Thursday at the prestigious Bonallack Trophy in Qatar slightly happier than the latter.

After oddly being left out of the Asia-Pacific line-up for the opening fourball matches in the Ryder Cup-style matches at Doha Golf Club, world amateur No.19 Thomas made his bow in the afternoon foursomes alongside Filipino Lloyd Jefferson Go.

But the Dubai-based Indian Thomas and Go were stopped 2&1 by Robin Dawson (Ireland) and Marc Hammer (Germany) as Europe staged an afternoon comeback of sorts following a 3½-1½ reverse in the fourball matches.

Todd Clements

With a 3-2 advantage in the fourball matches, Europe closed the to within a point as Asia-Pacific which will take a 5½- 4½ lead into the second day (of three) on Friday.

Clements, who emulated Thomas by winning the 2017 amateur order-of-merit title on the developmental MENA Tour, also did it tough Thursday. He partnered fellow Englishman Matthew Jordan in both matches but lost to Australians Min Woo Lee and Shae Wools-Cobb 1 down in their fourball match and 2&1 in the foursomes.

The event is named in honour of Sir Michael Bonallack, one of Great Britain and Ireland’s (GB&I) greatest ever amateur golfers and former Secretary of The Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews (1984-99).

The post Thomas and Clements winless as Asia-Pacific edge first day at Bonallack Trophy appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
Range work. Revision. Repeat. The next month will feel like Groundhog Day for Rayhan Thomas but the Indian teen is happily in the zone, making the most of a rare gap in the calendar to prep for his next big school and amateur golf examinations.

Thomas is counting down to the 10th Sir Michael Bonallack Trophy in Qatar next month so if he’s not catching up on his studies ahead of a critical Year 11 exam later this month, he’s working on “tidying up” his game in readiness to represent Asia-Pacific in the biennial Ryder Cup-style matches against Europe.

The 18-year-old MENA Tour product wasn’t happy to miss the cut at last month’s Omega Dubai Desert Classic, rounds of 73-77 leaving former Open champion Darren Clarke the only player (albeit a major champ) between Thomas and the foot of the 132-player leaderboard.

A holiday visiting family back in Kerala over Christmas/New Years was wonderful and so too is hindsight. With the beauty of some of the latter, Thomas knows he wasn’t ready for the historically low scoring during the Desert Classic.

Related: Practice round with Rory at Desert Classic was “off the wall”

“I didn’t have enough preparation time before the Desert Classic but there’s no excuses, I should have been ready,” said the Dubai Creek member, speaking with a self-awareness that belies his tender years.  “I wasn’t happy with my ball striking or my touch and feel around the greens, the whole lot.”

If he doesn’t have his nose in text books, you’ll find Thomas on the range, often under the watchful guidance of Butch Harmon School of Golf Dubai Director of Instruction Justin Parsons, determinedly putting things right.

“I’ve always had a pretty shut [club]face at the top and been a bit across the line which is okay if my timing is on, but when it’s not, my misses a wide,” the world No.18 said. “So I’m working on trying to get a little bit more out in front and hopefully my misses will be a lot smaller.”

Europe leads the Bonallack Trophy 7-2 ahead of the 10th matches at Doha Golf Club from March 8-10. Selection is another huge accomplishment for Thomas given the competition’s alumnae, major champions Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Danny Willett and Geoff Ogilvy among the big names. World No.2 Jon Rahm and Ryder Cuppers Chris Wood and Nicolas Colsaerts are other former European reps while Thomas will follow decorated countryman Shiv Kapur and Japan’s world No.6 Hideki Matsuyama in representing Asia-Pacific.

Rory McIlroy, Joost Luiten, Oliver Fisher and Richie Ramsay helped Europe to a 18-14 win at the 2006 Sir Michael Bonallack Trophy at Auckland G.C. in New Zealand. Sandra Mu/Getty Images

After the Bonallack Trophy, Thomas will return to the Sage Valley Junior Invitational near Augusta in April and is also eyeing another tilt at The [British] Amateur Championship at Royal Aberdeen and Murcar Links in June. He missed the cut last year – and thus the matchplay stages of the 122nd Amateur at Prince’s and Royal St George’s – by a solitary stroke.

Thomas has his final Year 11 exam in between the U.S. and Scotland and needs to keep up his grade averages over the next year ahead of joining Oklahoma State University, one of the most decorated schools in collegiate golf who count Rickie Fowler among their former stars.

Related: Ray’s a Cowboy and Rickie Fowler’s delighted!

Thomas might have a full year of correspondence school left before his U.S. odyssey but it doesn’t stop him talking like a proud Cowboy already.

“Oklahoma just won a big event in Hawaii, it was by 12 or 14 strokes we won by and it was a big event. We’ve got a fantastic roster and a great coach as well. I can’t wait.”

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