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.

Two-back overnight, Sturehed rattled off eight birdies and a chip-in eagle to move to -13 at the season-decider in Ajman and open up a healthy five stroke lead over Englishman Andrew Marshall (66).

The season-long title race is suddenly a lot more spicy after Joy signed for a 69 to move from a share of 9th overnight into a share of 5th with Slovenia’s Tim Gornik and Swede Fredrik From, the latter an outside chance at the order-of-merit (OOM) title.

Joy is now just two shots behind Jamie Elson after the overnight leader and OOM pole-sitter carded a one-under 71 to fall into a share of third at -7 with Canadian Lindsay Renolds.

Related: Who needs to do what to win the MENA Tour

With 36-holes remaining, the equation is simple for Joy. If he goes on to win, the MENA Tour title, three European Tour starts, an invite to the PGA Tour’s Dean & Deluca Invitational, a Sunshine Tour card and a place in final qualifying for the Asian Tour is his. If Joy finishes second or third, Elson would need to finish no better than 4th or 6th respectively while Joy would still need a top three finish if Elson slips outside the top 10.

Sturehed backed up his opening 68 with a nine-under second round that included a chip-in eagle three on the 4th after his six-iron from 218 yards finished just off the green, a solitary bogey at the 8th before three successive birdies to finish.

“Conditions were a bit tougher today because of cross winds, but I had a good, solid day,” said the 27-year-old Swede.

“You never know tomorrow holds as there are many good players in the field and anything can happen. I need to stick to my game plan and keep the feel-good vibes going.”

Defending champion Tyler Hogarty, (South Africa) tied for second overnight, fell into a tie for 17th after returning a 77 while England’s Jake Shepherd kept himself in the frame for a strong finish, taking a share of 8th after posting a 69.

The English duo of Zane Scotland and Lee Corfield, who between them share 14 MENA Tour titles, are T-22 on +1 while Craig Hinton, the winner of the 2016 Order of Merit title, occupied tT-40 on +6, 150.

Taylor Carter returned a 69 to join fellow Englishman Sam Hobday at the top of the amateur division on -2 as overnight joint leader Todd Clements slipped to +1 after a 76.

Click here for full MENA Tour Championship scores

The post Sturehed stretches away at MENA Tour Championship with course record 63 as Joy closes in on Elson in OOM race 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.

Heraty Jnr opened the event with a then MENA Tour record equalling 62 and closed it with the circuit’s then lowest final round score of 65 to offer his ill idol the ultimate pick me up.

“It was a tough week, but everybody was pretty supportive which kind of calmed me down. I wanted to win it for him and that gave me extra strength, making the win very, very special,” said 26-year-old Englishman.

Fast-forward 12 months and Heraty is back at the scene of his maiden and thus far sole MENA Tour win for the penultimate event of the development Pro-Am season. Thankfully the Heraty men are in a better space too.

“My dad is doing well now and it feels great to come back to the venue of my first win on the tour.”

After a injury-disrupted season, Heraty needs to play the Sahara Kuwait Championship to qualify for next week’s Tour Championship in Ajman – the top 50 pros and top 10 amateurs make the cut for Al Zorah proving they’ve played a minimum of seven events.

Related: Elson ends 14-year wait for second tour victory, on cusp of winning multiple European and PGA Tour starts

This will be Heraty’s seventh start (likewise for Welshman Toby Hunt) and he’s trending nicely having finished 11th and 3rd in his last two starts, the Golf Citizen Abu Dhabi Open and Jordan’s AYLA Championship. The season-best in Jordan could have been better to but for an opening 75 but he’s comfortably inside the top 50 at 33rd and will be looking to climb higher.

“Hopefully, I will be able to pick up where I left off last year, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself,” Heraty said.” I’m just hoping to play well again and see where that leaves me.”

After his victory in Jordan, Jamie Elson tops the order-of-merit race on 32,453 points and has destiny in his own hands with a 10,033 buffer to second placed Luke Joy and just the two events remaining. Conversely, fellow Englishman Joy (22, 420) and Swede Fredrik From (20, 311) know exactly what they need to do to drag themselves back into the OOM title race which promises the winner starts in the European Tour’s Omega Dubai Desert Classic, the Maybank Championship in Malaysia, Morocco’s Hassan II Trophee and the PGA Tour’s DEAN & DELUCA Invitational at Colonial CC. A full Sunshine Tour card for 2018 and exemption to the final stage of qualifying for the Asian Tour also await the MENA Tour champion which would give Elson options and he is also through to the second stage of European Tour Q-School.

Heraty with Wael Abdulrahman Al Welayti, member of Sahara Kuwait’s golf advisory committee.

The post Heraty back to defend Kuwait title in much happier circumstances appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
Jordan’s first 18-hole all-grass course was designed by two-time Open champion Greg Norman and will have another holder of the Claret Jug on hand when it hosts its first professional tournament this week.

Darren Clarke, the 2011 Open champion at Royal St. George’s, will tee it up in ‘Jordan’s Ayla Golf Championship’ from Thursday. It will be the 49-year-old Ulsterman’s third start in the last four MENA Tour events and is a boon for the new $50,000, 54-hole event in Aqaba.

“It’s great to see a player of the stature of Darren lend his celebrity status to the event, which I am sure will be a memorable affair. We are really grateful to him for his support,” said Ayla Director of Operations, Chris White, who joined the club from Yas Links in Abu Dhabi.

“We are delighted to be part of the Mena Tour as we feel the championship will be a great catalyst for the overall growth and development of the sport in the country.”

Clarke is counting down to joining the Champions Tour in the U.S. after his 50th birthday next August and is using the MENA Tour to keep his game sharp as well as promoting the Pro-Am circuit’s merits as official patron.

With 13 European and two WGC titles and a 10-7-3 (W-L-H) Ryder Cup record as a player, Clarke won’t be happy with his T-26 finish at last week’s Golf Citizen Abu Dhabi Open after a level par effort following rounds of 70-73-73. It followed a -2, T-16 performance at the Dubai Creek Open earlier in September after scores of 68-69-74.

As competitive as ever, Clarke is desperate for a MENA Tour victory which would eclipse his best finish on tour thus far, a T-2 on debut at the 2015 Ras Al Khaimah Classic.

Aside from Clarke’s performance, the focus in Jordan will be on the Order-of-Merit race. Jamie Elson is back on top after his third place finish in Abu Dhabi but the Englishman has yet to win a MENA Tour event and is just 4432 points ahead of the Swede Fredrik From.

Luke Joy, fifth overall but reeling after missing the cut at Yas Links, also needs a big week with just Jordan and the Oct.16-18 Sahara Kuwait Golf Championship left before the season-ending Tour Championship at Al Zorah from Oct. 23-26.

Perhaps the biggest star of all this week will be the course itself. Since its soft opening in October 2016, Ayla GC’s commitment to environmentally-friendly design has garnered wide recognition courtesy of solar-powered floodlights and eco-friendly paspalum grass that is fed using water from 19 wells. It certainly looks stunning as these tweets from the MENA Tour and Swedish pro Fredrik Lindblom show:

These fairways @AylaOasis ??? #aylaoasis #aylagolfclub pic.twitter.com/fsUAMumiyl

— MENA Tour (@theMENATour) October 3, 2017

Looking forward to play the first ever pro golf event in Jordan?? @theMENATour . Ayla GC is incredible ? pic.twitter.com/NJUqCJd0mB

— Fredrik Lindblom (@f_lindblom) October 2, 2017

With scenic Red Sea views and a meandering wet wadi that comes into play on 11 holes, Ayla is considered one of Norman’s top three most sustainable designs.

“For us to be considered as a venue capable of hosting our first professional golf tournament within our first year of operation is both testament to the quality of the product as well as our collective team’s desire to showcase Ayla, Aqaba and, indeed Jordan, to a global audience,” said Sahl Dudin, Managing Director of Ayla.

“Aqaba seeks to improve its tourism assets, so that we can make the stay of visiting tourists longer. So it is not only the ‘sun and sand’: it is the ‘Golden Triangle’, which is Wadi Rum and Petra, and more attractions in Aqaba, which is diving, and now golf.”

In addition to the 18-hole championship course, Ayla GC offers a teaching academy, a 9-hole par-3 course and driving range.

HISTORY IN THE MAKING…the MENA Tour arrives in Aqaba, Jordan for the first professional golf tournament in the Kingdom! ?? pic.twitter.com/pbCU1Y88MR

— MENA Tour (@theMENATour) October 2, 2017

The post Darren Clarke headlines strong field for Jordan’s first professional event appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Countless golfers go a lifetime without a hole-in-one, much less a professional title but Kyle Barker needed just a single afternoon to tick off those two bucket-list milestones on Wednesday.

The 19-year-old South Africa sealed an impressive two-shot, wire-to-wire victory at the MENA Tour’s Golf Citizen Abu Dhabi Open with a closing 68 at Yas Links, highlighted by an ace at the fourth.

Todd Clements pushed Barker to the limit with a closing 66, the day’s best score, but the South African had a counter jab to everything thrown at him by the English Amateur champion, as well as a couple of his own scorecard upper cuts.

Barker, playing on a special invitation, started the final round par, birdie, par, ace, birdie but then bogeyed the 6th and tripled the ninth. His topsy-turvy quest for a maiden pro title continued when he eagled the par 5 11th only to bogey the 16th and once again give Clements a sniff. But a birdie-birdie finish, including sinking an improbable 50-footer on 17, finally sunk Clements’ challenge.

“I am really so happy. Words can’t really express it,” said Barker after collecting the silverware and the champion’s US$9000 cheque from Yas Links general manager Howie Roberts.

“Feeling a proud South African at the moment, proud because the last two events on the MENA Tour were also won by a South African [MG Keyser at the Dubai Creek Open and Golf Citizen Classic at The Els], so this win is a bit special too.

“When Todd birdied the 13th, 15th and 16th, I needed do something special and hitting my three-wood approach on the final hole to within four feet did the trick.”

Clements, forced to settle for his second runner-up finish in three starts, was again gracious as he came up just short again in his bid to become the third amateur winner on the developmental circuit.

“Kyle played brilliantly all week and deserved to win,” said the 21-year-old Englishman who birdied the 9th to affect a four-shot swing following Barker’s triple. Sadly a bogey on the last blew his chances.

“I tried to be patient out there and stuck to my game plan. Of course, I am a bit disappointed on missing out on victory, but the good thing is that I’m able to take a lot of confidence out of today, a lot of positives.”

England’s Jamie Elson signed for a final round 68 to finish third on -9, one clear of compatriot Christopher Cannon who finished with a flawless 67. Elson’s solid performance sees him return to the top of the professional order of merit, 4432 points ahead of Fredrik From after the Swede finished T-18 at -2 following rounds of 73-71-70. A cheque for $6000 boosted Elson’s season earnings to $19, 471 (AED 71,518) while From has pocketed $17,718.

Scotland’s Paul Doherty carded back-to-back 67s to join Germany’s Georg Schultes in a tie for 5th on -7, one ahead of Welshman Toby Hunt as England’s Zane Scotland took a share of 8th on -5 following a final round 70.

Darren Clarke, the MENA Tour patron, settled for tied 26th on level-par after a final round 73 while UAE national rep Khalid Yousuf closed with a 73 to finish +3 in a share of 39th place alongside, among others, Dubai amateur Michael Harradine.

The MENA Tour’s next event, the new Jordan’s AYLA Golf Championship from October 5-7, unusually starts next Thursday unlike most the circuit’s Monday starts.

For final scores click here

Golf Citizen Abu Dhabi Open champion Kyle Barker with Yas Links General Manager Howie Roberts and the Abu Dhabi club’s Director of Golf, Kames Ibbetson.

The post South African teen seals maiden pro title with an ace, an eagle and unbelievable birdie-birdie finish at Yas Links 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

With a major champion returning for his second start in three weeks, the current order-of-merit leader winging his way to Malaysia and the return of a perennial title challenger from Austria, this week’s Golf Citizen Abu Dhabi Open doesn’t lack for preview fodder.

But as inevitable as it is that former Open champion Darren Clarke, MIA South African MG Keyser and confidence-bruised Englishman Luke Joy will dominate the early narrative at Yas Links, there is an intriguing amateur subplot that has MENA Tour chairman Mohamed Juma Buamaim just as excited.

At the summit of the battle within the battle is Englishman Todd Clements who will look to extend his lead in the circuit’s amateur OOM. Clements, who moved up to 64th in the amateur world rankings on the back of his joint second placing with Rayhan Thomas at the recent Dubai Creek Open, takes a 27 point lead into the 12th of the tour’s 15 regular season events over countryman Sam Hobday.  UAE-based Swiss international Michael Harradine, third overall 41 points adrift, will also hope to have some say at Yas Links.

But the presence of UAE nationals Ahmed Skaik, Khalid Yousuf, Sohail Al Marzooqi and Abdalla Al Musharrekh among the 24 amateur entries is especially welcomed by Buamaim.

It is a particularly important time for Skaik who won the individual title at last year’s 21st GCC Golf Championship in Bahrain. The left-hander is counting down to the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship in New Zealand (Oct. 26-29) and the Nomura Cup (Asia-Pacific Amateur Teams Championship) in Malaysia (Nov. 9-12).

Skaik will have promising 17-year-old Mohammed Al Hajeri for company at Royal Wellington next month where the individual winner earns a start in the 2018 U.S. Masters. Abdalla and Hassan Al Musharrekh, meanwhile, will fly with Skaik to Jordan’s AYLA Golf Championship, a new stop on the MENA Tour next week, as part of the on-going prep for the Nomura Cup.

“It’s great to see UAE national team members, in particular, sign up for the event,” said Buamaim.

“The experience that the region’s amateurs gain from competing alongside professionals will hold them in good stead for their future regional and international engagements.”

Clarke, the 2011 Open Champion and the MENA Tour’s increasingly hard-working patron, has returned to Abu Dhabi of his own accord, partly to push the circuit’s agenda with the Emirates Golf Federation but also in the hope of rekindling some old magic ahead of teeing it up on the Champions Tour in the U.S. next year.

The 49-year-old, who spent time practicing under the watchful eye of Butch Harmon School of Golf director of instruction Justin Parsons at The Els over the weekend, finished T-16 at the Creek with scores of 68-69-74. Clarke will be hoping his putter co-operates a little more at Yas Links as he looks to go one better than his T-2 finish in his MENA Tour debut at the 2015 Ras Al Khaimah Classic.

Great to spend some time with Darren Clarke this week. His instinct (strike) and artistry (shape) are about as good as anyone. Good two days work @the_els_club_dubai @bhsgdubai #teamtitleist #titleist #golfer #golf #golfing

A post shared by Justin Parsons (@jparsonsgolf) on Sep 23, 2017 at 2:31am PDT

Joy hopes to quickly rebound from a missed cut at the KLM Open and the “crushing blow” of failing to advance from the first stage of European Tour Q-School in Austria last week. At fourth on the Pro OOM, the 29-year-old still has much to play for and especially so around the links layout to which he is attached.

Related: Joy “absolutely deflated” after failing, by a stoke, to advance at European Tour Q-School 

After back-to-back Dubai Creek and Golf Citizen Classic victories, Mathiam Gerhard, or “MG “, Keyser, is opted to chase a return to the Asian Tour which means Joy, Swede Fredrik From and former Challenge Tour winner Jamie Elson will resume their battle for top honours as the circuit quickly zeros in on its flagship $100,000 Tour Championship at Al Zorah from Oct. 23-26.

Dubai-based Keyser begins a three week stretch on the Asian Development Tour in Malaysia at this week’s PGM EurAsia Sabah Championship at Sabah Golf and Country Club but has vowed to return to MENA Tour duty in 2018.

“I would love to play the rest of the Mena events and try finishing first but I have commitments in Asia and have to focus on getting my main tour card back for next year,” Keyser told Golf Digest Middle East.

“And then I can hopefully schedule the Mena Tour in for 2018 and try and play enough events to be able to play tour champs.”

Order of Merit standings thru Golf Citizen Abu Dhabi Classic at The Els, Dubai:
Professionals
MG Keyser (South Africa) – 18,774 points
Fredrik From (Sweden) – 18,397
Jamie Elson (England) – 17,453
Luke Joy (England) – 16,420
Andrew Marshall (England) – 16,171

Amateurs
Todd Clements (England) -181 points
Sam Hobday (England) – 154
Michael Harradine (Switzerland) -140
Tiago Lobo (Brazil) – 121
Rayhan Thomas (India) – 118

The post UAE lefty Ahmed Skaik leads intriguing amateur subplot at Golf Citizen Abu Dhabi Open 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.