Until Monday that was when the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club teaching professional finally flicked the switch, freeing the undoubted golfing talent within to notch his maiden victory on the regional circuit at Arabian Ranches.

The 29-year-old typically did it in topsy-turvy style, taking advantage of a new driver to fashion six birdies, an eagle and even a triple bogey to negotiate the Ian Baker-Finch designed, Troon International-managed layout in 69 memorable strokes.

Woods, a regular contributor of instruction content for Golf Digest Middle East, edged Dong Lee (Emirates Golf Club) by a stroke with recent The Track, Meydan Golf winner Tom Buchanan (Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club), Michael Major (Dubai Creek), Jonathan Craddock (Emirates G.C.) and UAE PGA chief executive Luke Plumb in a four-way tie for third on 72.

“It’s nice to get the first win…finally,” Woods told GolfDigestme.com

“It’s taken far too long to get. I haven’t been that close in the past and have struggled with my game for a while but feel it coming together now which bodes well for the rest of the season.”

The new driver helped Woods birdie the 1st and 3rd at Arabian Ranches before he undid all the good work with the triple on the shortish par-4 6th.

“I didn’t hit that bad a shot off the tee, just a little right, but never found it.”

WATCH: Jack Woods’ short game video tip – Fight or flight? 

Woods responded well with further birdies on 7,8,9 and 11 before nestling an 8-iron to about 15ft on the par 5 13th en-route to his eagle.

“I had a couple of frustrating three putt bogeys in the last five holes to finish with a 69 but it’s great to get my first win which will hopefully allow me to kick on a get more this year.

“I drove the ball particularly well which I haven’t done for a while which makes the game much easier.”

Like all his peers, Woods is eyeing Dec. 10-11 and the UAE PGA’s 36-hole qualifier at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club for a spot in the European Tour’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.

“The chance to play with the top players in the world at the HSBC would be great but there’s a lot of top pro’s out here so I’ll need another good round [or two] to have a shout at that,” Woods said.

“I wanted to have a run at the Order-of-Merit [the UAE PGA’s overall title] this year so that’s my main goal this season.”

After a slow start to the season, Woods is off and running in that quest but the Hertfordshire lad is still looking up to club-mate Major who is the latest to top the OOM ahead of the next tournament at Trump Dubai on Dec. 3.

The post Jack finally out of the UAE PGA Tour Woods after topsy-turvy Arabian Ranches win appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
Joe Way has holed a slippery downhill chip for birdie on his final hole to earn a share of the professional spoils at the Dubai Creek UAE PGA Pro-Am.

The 24-year-old Londoner found the cup with his 68th and final shot of the day from beyond the green on the tough par 4 second hole (he had started on the third in the shot-gun format) to tie fellow Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club teaching pro and serial UAE PGA Tour winner Cennydd Mills.

Way, who has graduated to the academy teaching team after joining the Creek 18 months ago in a operations role, started Monday’s tournament birdie-birdie and added further gains on the 13th and 2nd to buff over his only dropped shot on the par 5 3rd.

Mills, the reigning UAE PGA order-of-merit champion, went one better than his runner-up finish at the Al Hamra European Challenge Tour qualifier last week with a three-under card that also included four birdies and a solitary dropped shot at the par 3 8th.

Related: Montgomerie pro David Laing earns Al Hamra return for dream European Challenge Tour start

Meanwhile, Emirates Golf Club professional Dong Lee led his team of Hyo Choong Kim, Kyung Soon Kang and Jung Rye Kim to the Pro-Am title with a -15 total of 127. The best two of four scores counted on each hole and the Emirates GC team’s total included a sizzling 13 under run on the back nine.

The winning team with UAE PGA CEO Luke Plumb (left).

Stefan Wears-Taylor (Al Zorah GC) teamed with Geoff Oswald, Adrian Valvona and John Fahy on to claim second place in the teams event with a -14 aggregate of 128 while Abu Dhabi GC pro Callum Nicoll guided Stathis Stathis and Gurbax and Sandeep Singh to third, a shot further back.

Related: Al Zorah’s Wears-Taylor captures fifth title in fast start to UAE PGA season

The UAE PGA Tour’s next stop is the Al Ain PGA Open on Oct. 30.

Gurbax Singh lets one rip on the 1st tee at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club.

The post What a Way to finish the Dubai Creek UAE PGA Pro-Am appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.