The 21-year-old South African won the 2017-18 season-opening Yas Links Pro-Am with a four-under 68 at the Abu Dhabi club on Tuesday. It followed a noteworthy four-win rookie season for the Al Zorah G.C. -attached PGA Trainee, capped by a three-stroke victory in the flagship UAE PGA Championship at the Ajman course in May.

Play the Dubai Creek UAE PGA Pro-Am on Oct.16!

Wears-Taylor made the most of a frustrating dress-rehearsal at Yas Links the previous week when he missed the 36-hole cut in the MENA Tour’s Golf Citizen Abu Dhabi Open following rounds of 77-72.

“Tuesday’s round was a nice way to start the season, especially after last week in the MENA Tour where I struggled a bit, but learnt a lot,” Wears-Taylor told Golf Digest Middle East of his two-shot victory over Luke Plump (Trump Dubai) and Austin Cahill (Yas Links). Yas Links General Manager Howie Roberts finished fourth on 71, the only other sub-par score.

“I struggled with my putting but managed to sort that out quickly on the greens at Al Zorah and the flat stick was very hot this week so I’m very pleased to see that. I just need to keep it hot throughout the season.”

Related: Wears-Taylor captures UAE PGA Championship at Al Zorah

Wears-Taylor started off with a birdie on his opening hole, the tricky par 4 16th at Yas but he gave it back on the even tougher par 3 17th.

“I got my bearings back in order and made two good pars on 18 and one and then on the [par 5] 2nd hole I left myself a 20ft putt after my second and rolled that one in for an eagle.”

Pars followed until the 7th where Wears-Taylor made his second birdie of the day.  He started the back nine nicely too with two birdies on 10 and 11 but gave those back when a lapse of concentration led to a double bogey on 13. But his penchant for the par 5s paid off again with a two-putt birdie 14th.

“Overall I’m happy with the round but I’ll definitely be out on the lush fairways of Al Zorah to work on a few more detailed things. I’m very fortunate to have the practice facilities here at AZGC to do my drills on, couldn’t ask for better conditions to train on! “

The next event on the UAE PGA Order-of-Merit schedule is at Al Hamra G.C. next Tuesday, an event that doubles as a qualifier for the European Challenge Tour’s Ras Al Khaimah 2017 Golf Challenge at the RAK club from Oct. 25-28. The Dubai Creek UAE PGA Pro-Am follows Oct.16. Amateurs are invited to register here.

The post Al Zorah trainee Wears-Taylor captures fifth title in fast start to UAE PGA Tour season 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.

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