By Kent Gray
The prize money isn’t in the same stratosphere but the MENA Tour’s answer to the DP World Tour Championship has the potential to be life-changing like it proved for $5 million man Jon Rahm at the Race to Dubai decider.

If you dismiss that as hyperbole, consider the journey of Scot Robert MacIntyre who hailed the MENA Tour by Arena after becoming European Tour Rookie-of-the-Year at Jumeriah Golf Estates on Sunday.

The “I can only control what I can control” narrative on the eve of the $100,000 Journey to Jordan Tour Championship certainly sounds very similar to that at Jumeirah Golf Estates this time last week.

RELATED: Knipes looks to get over Hill as amateur Journey to Jordan race goes to wire

While five players went into the European Tour climax with a chance to be crowned European No.1, just three pros – South African pole-sitter MG Keyser, second-placed Aussie Daniel Gaunt and fourth-placed Englishman James Allan –  can finish the season as Journey to Jordan champion.

England’s Matthew Baldwin and Frenchman Robin Roussell, third and sixth in the J2J standings, have opted not to play at Ayla Golf Club this week as they continue to chase European Tour cards on the Challenge Tour.

Keyser won the Troon Series – Dubai Open presented by Turkish Airlines earlier in the season. (Photo Joy Chakravarty).

That leaves Keyser, Gaunt and Allan to battle it out for the $18,000 winner’s cheque., comparative loose change compared to the $3 million Rahm pocketed for winning his second DPWTC title in three years (there was also a $2 million bonus for claiming the Race to Dubai title). But the MENA Tour by Arena trio are chasing something money can’t buy – opportunities at the next level.

The eventual Journey to Jordan champion will earn starts in the European Tour’s Omega Dubai Desert Classic and Made in Denmark, plus the Diamond Cup, an event co-sanctioned by the Japan Golf Tour and Asian Tour.

There are also Desert Classic starts at Emirates Golf Club (Jan. 23-26) for the runner-up, the leading player in the ‘Final Five’ Order of Merit and the top amateur. The overall Journey to Jordan runnerup will also be off to the Asian Tour’s Bank BRI Indonesian Open and the season-ending Indonesian Masters (Dec 12-15), while the bronze medallist can look forward to two Challenge Tour invites.

Keyser, who can make all the Journey to Jordan points permutations irrelevant by finishing solo second, sounded a lot like all the big-name contenders at JGE last week during Monday’s media call.

“It’s the same as any other week. I really can’t predict what others are going to do…I can only control myself,” said Keyser who won Dubai Open at Dubai Hills earlier in the season and leads the way with earnings of $44,361 – $7887 clear of Al Zorah Open champion Gaunt.

“I have had a couple of good weeks on the Asian Tour before coming here and I played well in the practice round. So, just go out there, have fun, and hopefully, at the end of the day, I am still at the top.”

The 54-hole Tour Championship begins Tuesday with Keyser, Gaunt and Allan forming the final group out at 11am Aqaba time (1pm UAE time).

On the eve of the Tour Championship, we asked our Professional Journey To Jordan leader @KeyserMG what would it mean for him to become the MENA Tour No1…@TGP_Dubai @JGEGolf @AylaOasis pic.twitter.com/nfxVKSZ5Cu

— MENA Tour (@theMENATour) November 25, 2019

WHAT THEY NEED TO DO…
Here are the various permutations for the pros at Ayla Golf Club:

MG KEYSER: A win will seal it, but if Gaunt picks up the trophy on Sunday, the Jumeirah Golf Estates ambassador will have to finish solo second. If Gaunt finishes solo second, Keyser will have to be inside tied fourth with one other player.

DANIEL GAUNT: Even if he wins, Gaunt will have to depend on Keyser finishing outside the top-two.

JAMES ALLAN: Will have to win the tournament, and then hope that Keyser is outside 38th position and Gaunt doesn’t win or is tied second with one other player.

The post European and Asian Tour starts MG Keyser’s to lose at MENA Tour decider appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
The lowest single-round score in MENA Tour history is 61. Don’t be surprised if that is pipped at this week’s $75,000 Al Ain Open by Arena with some even predicting golf’s mythical mark of 59 could be obtained.

MG Keyser, the leader of the Journey to Jordan heading into the penultimate regular-season event of the year starting Monday, is the holder of the 18-hole record, having posted the score of 61 not once but twice.

The Dubai-based South African signed for an 11-under-par, second-round loop of Dubai Hills in March en-route to victory at Troon Series-Dubai Open after first posting 61 to set up victory in the 2017 Dubai Creek Open. That was a 10-under opening round circuit of Dubai Creek, a score amateur Rayhan Thomas matched the score in the second round of the same tournament only to lose to Keyser in a playoff.

With little wind protecting the wide, manicured fairways and receptive greens at Al Ain Equestrian Shooting and Golf Club during this week’s Pro-Am and practice rounds, a birdie fest is in the offing.

The professional course record at the 6,764-yard course is a 63 by Alex Wrigley in the Mercedes-Benz International ProAm in February 2017, while the amateur record is a 61 by Brazilian Herik Machado during the 2017 Faldo Series Grand Final.

Dubai-based 15-year-old amateur Josh Hill flirted with the course record with a 62 in last year’s Faldo Series Middle East Championship. After recording his best ever T-6 finish on the MENA Tour by Arena in the last event at Yas Links Abu Dhabi, Hill is predicting low numbers this week.

“I won’t be surprised if someone shoots a 59 this week,” the Dubai-based, England age-group rep said. “If the wind does not pick up and if you are hitting it well off the tee, this course sets you up with plenty of birdie chances and the greens roll really well.”

In the Pro-Am on Saturday, England’s Taylor Carter made 12 birdies.

“I think a 59 is out there, but it does depend on various things, especially the wind,” said Carter. “It is not the longest course we play all year and there are a lot of wedge shots out there which you can get close. If it stays calm like this, we can see some very low scores over the next three days.”

England’s James Allan, winner of the Abu Dhabi Open by Arena at Yas Links, said the golf course can play two ways.

“You can obviously go low here, but the players will have to be wary of not getting frustrated if they do not get off to a good start. If you don’t get a few birdies on the front nine, many players will start pushing harder on the back nine, and it can have a negative effect,” said the 25-year-old from Chelmsford, who will bypass next week’s Ras Al Khaimah Open to participate in the second stage of European Tour Q-School.

“[This week] is a crucial week for me as far as winning the Journey to Jordan on the MENA Tour is concerned,” Allan said. “I have only this week and then the Arena Championship [at Ayla Golf Club in Jordan] to catch up with the leaders. But it is not what I am going to focus on – I am just hoping to continue playing good golf and hopefully, the results will take care of everything.”

The MENA Tour by Arena continues to provide Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points, thus making it a perfect pathway for ambitious young professional to the bigger tours, and for the players from the region to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

The post MENA Tour on 59 watch ahead of Al Ain Open appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
James Allan started the week celebrating a significant milestone but the party was clearly only getting started.

Two days after marking his 25th birthday with a windswept 66 around Yas Links, the English lefty claimed his maiden MENA Tour title with a runaway five-stroke victory at the Abu Dhabi Open by Arena on Sunday.

As one former amateur prodigy celebrated his pro breakthrough, another in the making continued his rise as 15-year-old Josh Hill won his second amateur title in the past three MENA Tour starts.

But this was Allan’s day. Or more accurately his week as he bookended 66s with a second-round 67 for 17 under-par, 199 total to claim the $13,500 winner’s cheque.

James Allan (left) with Francisco De Lancastre David, manager of the three Troon International Abu Dhabi clubs including Yas Links.

“By far the best birthday week I have ever had,” the Chelmsford professional said afterwards. “I have worked very hard for this and I owe my success to many people who believed in me, including my coach Ben Barham at the Robert Rock Academy.

“This is a massive confidence boost for me. I have had a couple of good rounds, but I somehow could not maintain it over three or four rounds. This is my best scores for a 54-hole tournament and it now gives me the belief that I can shoot numbers like this.”

Having come through the amateur ranks and winning our Amateur Order of Merit twice, @jamesallangolf is kind of our poster boy.
After his first pro win at Abu Dhabi Open by Arena, he tells us what the MENA Tour means to him.@arenagroup_plc pic.twitter.com/FclhOUqNEB

— MENA Tour (@theMENATour) October 9, 2019

Allan won the MENA Tour’s amateur Order of Merit (OOM) titles in 2014 and 2015 but has struggled to get over the line since entering the pay for your mortgage ranks. Thankfully Wednesday’s final round was relatively stress-free as he overcame Englishmen Robbie Busher and Harry Ellis and Swede Niclas Weiland, the latter impressively on debut, who shared third on -12.

Allan made an eagle on the par-5 7th for the second successive day but a fluffed his lines with a bogey at the ninth after failing to get up and down from a handy lie at the front of the green. Turning one-under for his round, the bogey spurred Allan into action, four successive birdie from the 10th making the closing holes less stressful.

“That bogey on the 9th really annoyed me. But when I reached the 10th tee, I had calmed down and I told myself that I was playing good golf. I made a couple of good putts on the 10th and 11th, and once I reached 16-under par after 13 holes, I just needed to play smart and not make any mistakes.”

Hill closed with a fine 66 to finish tied sixth overall at nine-under-par 20. It was the Trump Dubai teen’s best finish in just his second season on the MENA Tour, bettering the T-9 at the Ghala Open earlier this year. Hill’s other amateur triumph was a shared title with Curtis Knipes at the Troon Series – Royal Golf Bahrain Open before the circuit’s summer hiatus earlier this year.

Dubai-based 15-year-old Josh Hill came into the Abu Dhabi Open by Arena slightly frustrated with his recent run of form.

It all changed at Yas Links as he grabbed the Leading Amateur honour by four shots with a superb six-under par 66 on final day.#HarderBetterFasterStronger pic.twitter.com/QrfwgsO90V

— MENA Tour (@theMENATour) October 9, 2019

England’s Robin ‘Tiger’ Williams (67) and Jack Floydd (68) were the next best amateurs at Yas Links on five-under-par 211. Williams has soared 28 places in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) to a career-high 72nd placing (his previous best was 75th) and retains top spot in the Journey to Jordan OOM standings with 18,918 points ahead of Englishmen Floydd (16,720), Knipes (11,922) and Hill (6,212).

The MENA Tour by Arena effect.@IAmRobinTiger secures the most @WAGRank points of his career with his rampant win at the Journey To Jordan-2.

Robin has leapt to a career-best ranking of 72 because of that. pic.twitter.com/gwfwtlAJQX

— MENA Tour (@theMENATour) October 9, 2019

After finishing T-9th at Yas Links on -8, Dubai-based South African MG Keyser has extended his lead atop the pro OOM from $5,235 to $6818 over Daniel Gaunt after the Australian missed the cut. Keyser has season earnings of $41,114 while Allan has moved up to fourth in the standings with $25, 712.

The MENA Tour takes a week-long breather before resuming at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club for The Al Ain Open by Arena from October 21-23.

Abu Dhabi Open by Arena – Selected FINAL SCORES
199 – James Allan (ENG) 66-67-66
204 – Robbie Busher (ENG) 70-69-65, Harry Ellis (ENG) 69-69-66, Niclas Weiland (SWE) 65-72-67
206 – Benjamin David (ENG) 70-67-69
207 – Josh Hill [Am-ENG] 69-72-66, Daniel Owen (ENG) 70-70-67, Clemens Prader (AUT)  71-68-68
208 – Tyler Hogarty (ENG) 72-69-67, MG Keyser (RSA) 68-70-70, Matt Killen (ENG) 68-67-73

It’s a wrap at the Abu Dhabi Open by Arena and to the winners go the spoils.

Amateur champion – Josh Hill (9-under, winner by four shots) and professional champion @jamesallangolf 17-under par, winner by five shots). @arenagroup_plc #harderbetterfasterstronger pic.twitter.com/6O3KwXIS7h

— MENA Tour (@theMENATour) October 9, 2019

The post MENA Tour breakthrough a “massive confidence boost” for Allan appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
James Allan has known success on the MENA Tour before but is 18 holes away from a belated 25th birthday present at Yas Links that would trump it all.

The English lefty started the second round of the Abu Dhabi Open by Arena a shot adrift of overnight leader Niclas Weiland but ended Tuesday two strokes in the lead after an equal best of the day 67 to go with his opening 66 on Monday, the day he celebrated his 25th.

Weiland slipped to tied third with an even-par 72 while English journeyman Matt Killen moved into solo second after matching Allan’s 67.

Allan has twice been crowned the MENA Tour’s now Journey to Jordan amateur Order of Merit champion – in 2014 and 2015 – but has not won a professional title on a recognised tour. He’s hoping to change all that on Wednesday.

“Tomorrow, I want to do the same things I did on the first two days,” the Chelmsford pro said.

“I am actually enjoying myself on this golf course. I just want to go out there and give my best and let’s see where that takes us.”

England’s @jamesallangolf takes us through the five-under par 67 that eventually earned him a two-shot lead going into the final round of the Abu Dhabi Open by Arena.

He also describes his eagle on the par-5 seventh hole and the tough closing stretch because of the headwind. pic.twitter.com/eLe2cl9VVh

— MENA Tour (@theMENATour) October 8, 2019

Taking advantage of the far more benign conditions following the first round’s 40-50 kmph winds, Allan sent bogey-free on Tuesday in a round highlighted by a driver, seven-iron, one putt eagle on the par-5 7th.

“I started solid and that eagle on the 7th gave me a jumpstart. I had a few chances on the back nine but could not make any of them. The last four holes were playing really tough today, into the wind, so I was quite pleased with that effort,” said Allan who is 11-under-par heading into the final round.

A former Abu Dhabi resident who worked at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, Killen, has returned to the MENA Tour after playing the regional Pro-Am circuit in 2016 and 2017. Like Allan, the 30-year-old Asian Development Tour player he is also chasing his first recognised tour win.

Matt Killen at Yas Links on Tuesday. Photo: Joy Chakravarty/MENA Tour

“A win would mean a lot to me. I have worked very hard on my game in the last couple of years. Hopefully, I can get it done tomorrow, but I don’t want to think about it just yet,” Killen said.

“Considering that I shot a 68 yesterday in those difficult conditions, a 67 today would not sound that good, but I will take two solid rounds like that any day. I just made one bogey yesterday and one today and managed to keep myself out of trouble for the most part, and when I did get into trouble, I scrambled well. “

On the amateur leaderboard, Dubai-based 15-year-old Josh Hill (72) continued to be on top despite finishing his second round with three successive bogeys. He was on three-under-par 141, with Jack Floydd (73) and Ben Davies (72) trailing him by two shots at 143.

The cut was applied at three-over-par 147 and 51 professionals made it to the final round. Among those with Wednesday off is Australian Daniel Gaunt, a fact that won’t have gone unnoticed by South African MG Keyser. Keyser,  tied  5th, five shots adrift of Allan, looks set to extend his lead atop the Journey to Jordan pro-OOM, especially as second-placed Gaunt won’t add to his points tally this week..

Amateur Robin ‘Tiger’ Williams, who won the Journey To Jordan-2 last week by eight shots, was at even-par 144 after a round of 71.  

The post Former amateur prodigy Allan eyes maiden MENA Tour victory appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
Consistency. It’s golf’s rarest commodity and MG Keyser seems to have unearthed a handy supply of the stuff just at the right time on the MENA Tour.

With an utterly impressive seven-under 65 on his MENA Tour debut, Swede Niclas Weiland rightly stole the headlines on the opening day of the Abu Dhabi Open by Arena on Monday. There was also a birthday of all birthday’s 66 from England lefty James Allen who clearly won’t forget his 25th in a hurry, not to mention a trio of players – Mitchel Sarling (ENG), Alessandro Tadini (ITA) and Gabriel Axell (Swe) – on 67.

But lurking just three off the lead in a share of 6th place after an opening 68, Keyser is making all the right moves to protect his new lead atop the circuit’s season-long Journey to Jordan Order of Merit (OOM) race.

After winning twice last season – albeit 2017 – the Dubai-based South African collected his third MENA Tour by Arena title at the Troon Series Dubai Open at Dubai Hills in March. He then returned after the tour’s six-month summer hiatus with a tidy T-3 finish at last week’s Journey to Jordan-2 Championship to leapfrog two places – over now Challenge Tour focused Matthew Baldwin and Robin Roussel – to the summit of the OOM standings.

There’s still 36-holes to go this week and a long way yet before all the big European Tour invites are handed out to the professional Journey to Jordan champion at the end of the season come late November. But if Keyser can keep up his consistent run of scoring, it’s going to take something special to beat him.

The real beauty of his 68 on Monday was the fact he’s not overly enamoured with Kyle Phillips’ layout despite the Abu Dhabi course’s global respect. It was doubly impressive because he faced the full brunt of a windy day on the Arabian Gulf-fringed links.

MG Keyser

“I have never played well on this course. I tend to overthink here a bit, but it was so windy today that you just can’t do that,” Keyser revealed afterwards.

“I tried to play a little safe. And it also helped that we were in Ayla Golf Club last week, which was again very windy on all four days.”

Weiland, meanwhile, turned professional this year after finishing his college at Barry University in the US. The 24-year-old played a few events on the Nordic Golf League where his best finish was a T-6 in Landeryd Masters but when his mother took up a new job in Abu Dhabi recently, he made a beeline to the MENA Tour office.

On Monday, he made the most of his exemption, getting off to a hot start with three straight birdies and never let that momentum slip away. It even warranted a tweet from former Open champion and countryman Henrik Stenson.

Well done @NiclasWeiland !

— Henrik Stenson (@henrikstenson) October 7, 2019

“I played solid and made very few mistakes,” said Weiland.

“I made good putts on the first three holes. After that, I was able to recover well whenever I made any mistake. The conditions were pretty tough out there. The wind switched when we were on the back nine, so I think it was slightly tougher for us.”

James Allan (Photo: Joy Chakravarty/MENA Tour)

Allan, who qualified for the second stage of the European Tour Qualifying School last week, reached Abu Dhabi after a trek from Milan via London and was feeling the effects.

“I am very pleased with that,” the birthday boy said of his 66. “I started well with two birdies in the first two holes, but it was from the fourth hole to the 14th that we seemed to be playing continuously into the wind. I was feeling tired on the back nine, and that could be the reason why I made a bogey from the middle of the fairway on the 15th. But overall, I am chuffed with that round.

“I will spend the evening with some friends and celebrate, but I have a late tee time tomorrow, so I should be fresh. There will be no excuse about my round tomorrow.”

What a way to celebrate your birthday!!

England’s @jamesallangolf shoots a brilliant six-under par 66 on the opening day of Abu Dhabi Open by Arena to trail by one shot on a day when he turned 25. pic.twitter.com/k11cIU6faJ

— MENA Tour (@theMENATour) October 7, 2019

After missing the cut in Aqaba last week, Dubai-based 15-year-old Josh Hill finally found a little co-operation from his driver Monday en-route to 69 that sees him lead the amateur race by a shot from Englishman Jack Floydd.

Josh Hills finally overcame a mini-slump – a period of couple of months when he seems to be struggling with a wayward driver.

In the Round 1 of the Abu Dhabi open by Arena, the 15-year-old hit 10 fairways in a 3-under 69, enough to lead the Amateur leaderboard by one shot. pic.twitter.com/0YOvbCgQ8e

— MENA Tour (@theMENATour) October 7, 2019

Last week’s Journey To Jordan-2 champion Robin ‘Tiger’ Williams started his campaign with a 73.

The post Consistent Keyser lurks as Swede enjoys dream debut and Allan the happiest of 25th birthdays appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
The MENA Tour’s principal mandate is to serve as a launch pad to bigger things for fledgling professionals and amateurs aspiring to the paid ranks. For Matthew Baldwin, it’s an alluring detour in a career seemingly at the crossroads.

The Englishman, 33 later this month, lost his European Tour card last season so intends using the MENA Tour’s five-event “spring swing” to tune up for the second tier Challenge Tour season.

First things first though. Even a player with a game previously proven in the cauldron of major championship weekends has to negotiate the regional developmental tour’s new two-stage Q-School.

RELATED: Spaniard tops MENA Tour’s first Q-School as Swede William Nygard cruelly misses card in playoff

Baldwin has made a good start to the 54-hole category B qualifier back at Ayla Golf Club in Jordan, an opening four under 68 earning him the overnight lead in Aqaba by one from Czech Daniel Suchan and Englishmen James Allan and Jacob Oakley.

Given his pedigree, it will be a major surprise if Baldwin doesn’t collect one of the 30 MENA Tour cards come Tuesday evening and move swiftly on to the $100,000 regular-season opener, also at Ayla, starting on Friday.

He has every incentive to perform well in the first five events in Jordan, Ajman, Oman, Dubai and Bahrain given the incentives on offer in the spring swing.

The order of merit leader after Royal Golf Club in Bahrain come March 14 will earn an invite to the European Tour’s Maybank Championship at Saujana Golf and Country Club in Kuala Lumpur from March 21-24. Indeed, the top five players on the money list at the halfway stage will be rewarded; the second placed player will tee it up in the Trophee Hassan II in Morocco from April 25-29, the third-placed player earns automatic entry into the new Jordan Mixed Open at Ayla G.C. from April 4-6 while the fourth and fifth players will be headed to the Asian Tour’s Indonesian Masters from July 4-7 and Indonesian Open from Aug. 15-18 respectively.

“I’ve got a full Challenge Tour status so I’ll be playing that for the bulk of the year and hoping to take advantage of a couple of European Tour starts such as Kenya and Austria,” Baldwin said after his 68.

“I fully intend to play four or five of the first [MENA Tour] swing until March. It’s a great way to prepare for the season ahead and there are some great incentives in terms of invites that are of on offer.”

Baldwin turned pro in 2008 and has been a European Tour regular since 2012 after claiming his maiden pro win at the Challenge Tour’s Fred Olsen Challenge de España the previous year.

He savoured a sensational rookie year on the main tour, finishing 72nd in the Race to Dubai standings with €372,786 but much richer for the experience of making the cut at the U.S. Open (T-59) at Olympic Club and the 141st Open Championship (T-23) at Royal Lytham & St Annes, a first major title and second claret jug for Webb Simpson and Ernie Els respectively.

Baldwin’s best year on tour came in 2014 when he finished 59th with €561,347, highlighted by T-3 and T-5 finishes at the Irish Open Open de France, the latter for a career-best payday of €116,100.

Last season was more of a grind, however. There was a T-10 in Doha and a 9th placing at the Belgian Knockout but he finished 164th in the season-long Race to Dubai with just €141,569 before dipping out at the second stage of European Tour Q-School.

Meanwhile, UAE professional Ahmed Almusharrekh carded a 75 to be T-31 overnight In Aqaba. The top 42-players and ties will survive Monday’s 36-hole cut before the final 18-hole sprint for the 30 tour cards.

“I had a solid start going level through 16 with a disappointing finish but I’m well in the mix. Hopefully, I can get below par in the next couple days,” said  Almusharrekh.

“I’ll be playing the MENA Tour in spring and then looking at a few options for the summer to play some competitive golf in Europe. The MENA Tour is a great platform for upcoming players in the Middle East as it offers us a chance to compete against some really good players.”

Emirati Abdulla Al Qubaisi is the best of the nine amateurs in the 66-player field after the opening day, T-38 after a 65.

It was a tough day for the MENA Tour’s trumpeted “Three Musketeers” with teens Toby Bishop, Josh Hill and Arjun Gupta all left with work to do after signing for eight over par 80s and a share of 54th place.

Full scores here

The post European Tour regular Matthew Baldwin takes early MENA Tour Q-School lead in Jordan appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.