Reigning boys’ green jacket holder Mousa Shana’ah kicked on from where he left off at the season opener at Yas Links – and last season – with a stunning 68 at the Jebel Ali 9-holer. The two-under-par round is a junior course record and helped the 12-year-old (12!) Jordanian up-and-comer to an eight-stroke victory over British 15-year-old Thomas Taylor-Cross. Third in the boys’ event was another Brit, Josh Bibby, whose seven-over 77 was a shot shy of Taylor-Cross.

UAE national team player capped a memorable day for the boys when he scored his first hole-in-one on Jebel Ali’s tricky par-3 8th.

Abdulla Kalbat is rewarded for his hole-in-one on Jebel Ali’s tricky 8th hole.

Kate Bibby backed up her season-opening victory in Yas Links with a two-over-par 72 to again win the girls’ title, this time by four strokes over Indian player Eshna Bhargava. Third place went to the British player Lili Brecken with an 84.

RELATED: Bibby off to brilliant start on Junior Masters Open Tour

Shana’ah easily won the boys’ net prize from Diego Ojeda and third-placed Savansh Chopra. The girls net division went to last season’s green jacket recipient Siti Latifahin ahead of Belgium’s Sien Demelker and Bibby.

The main champions at JA The Resort Golf Course including girls champion Kate Bibby (left) and Mousa Shana’ah (second from right).

The four on-course prizes went to:

– Hole in one: Abdulla Kalbat (UAE)
– Nearest the pin: Jay Pangarkar (India)
– Longest drive for boys: Josh Bibby (UK)
– Longest drive for girls: Kate Bibby (UK)

The Junior Masters Open Tour offers players aged for eight to 19 years old the lure of Global Junior Golf Rankings (GJGR) and Junior Golf Score Board ranking points. It has expanded in its second season with new events in Egypt and Oman.

“It was a great tournament at JA The Resort Golf Course as we see everything you could wish to see in a golf tournament,” said Abedallah Shana’ah , Managing Director of Golf Events Management, owners of the Junior Masters Open Tour.

“The results are amazing and the competition is high between all the players. I am so happy to see a hole in one this season. Our juniors are playing very good golf and I am sure that they will reach to the best position in the ranking globally in a short period. 

RELATED: The Junior Masters Open Tour’s green jacket goals

“We are so proud of all the players and we are happy to see that in each tournament we have more players from different countries which show that the tour give the players what they required, and we will keep encouraging them to reach to the best places over their peers from around the world.

“We are also so proud that we are the first we establish a  tour with the global ranking in the Middle East and also the first we establish the same in Africa, and we add some tournament in Oman as the first round will begin in January, and we will keep developing the tour to be one of the best and biggest junior tours not in the region only but in the world.”

Abu Dhabi Golf Club will host the third round of the 2019-2020 season on November 30.

Winners were grinners at JA The Resort Golf Course.

The post Mousa Shana’ah, just 12, fires 68 to star in latest Junior Masters Open Tour event appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
Kate Bibby was the star as the second season of the Junior Masters Open Tour opened at Yas Links.

Battling gusty winds, the Dubai-based Brit carded sensational rounds of 68 and 73 to win the opening event at Yas Links with a three-under total. Bibby was six strokes clear of Filipino player Jamie Camero (77, 76) while third place in the girls gross division went to Japan’s Sakura Kawakani on +12 after rounds of 80-76.

RELATED: The Junior Masters Open Tour’s green jacket goals 

Spaniard Hugo Garcia won the boys gross with rounds of 75-71. The 15-year-old’s two-over total was three better than Brit Thomas Taylor-Cross with a score of +5 (73,76) while Jordanian Mousa Shana’ah (78,74) and 15-year-old Viggo Sorensen (78, 74) shared third on +8.

Mousa Shana’ah

It was an impressive start to the defence of his overall green jacket title for 12-year-old Shana’ah who was also second in the boys’ net division behind UAE national team player Abdulla Kalbat. Italian Emanuele Galeppini was and Diego Ojeda from Oman fourth place.

The girls net division went to Belgian Sien Demelker followed by Bibby and Jamie Camero in joint second place. Third went Italian player Carlotta Scialanga while Siti Latifah, last season’s girls green jacket holder, was 4th.

The Junior Masters Open Tour is run by Golf Events Management and sanctioned by the two global rankings: the Global Junior Golf Rankings (GJGR) and Junior Golf Score Board.

“It was a great two days of golf at Yas Links golf club as the results are amazing and the competition is high between all the players,” said Golf Events Management Managing Director Abedallah Shanaah

“The weather conditions gave more challenge to the players and put them in a real situation to test their game. I am so happy to see that the juniors at the region has this potential, and I am sure that they will reach to the best position in the ranking globally in short period, and I congratulate all the winners and all the participants for their amazing sport skills”.

Golf Events Management General Manager Ali Kalbat continued: “We are so proud of all the players and we will keep encouraging them to reach to the best places over their peers in the world. We are also so proud that we are the first we establish the golf tours with the global ranking at the Middle East and also the first we establish the same in Africa, and we will keep developing the tour to be one of the best and biggest junior tours not in the region only but in the world.”.

The second event of the season is scheduled for Nov. 9 at JA The Resort Golf Course in Jebel Ali.

The post Bibby off to brilliant start on Junior Masters Open Tour appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.