Jha produced a bogey-free, seven-under-par 65 Monday to sit at the summit of the $30,000 Golf Citizen Classic leaderboard.

The 30-year-old from the southern Indian city of Bengaluru is two shots clear of Pakistani Hamza Amin and South African MG Keyser who carried on from where he left off at the Creek after capturing his maiden MENA Tour title.

“It could have been a great one [round] but I missed a few putts coming home. That’s golf. You can’t complain after opening with a 65,” said Jha who turned professional in 2010.

“I drove the ball well all day and holed some nice putts. Making those four birdies in a row from the third kind of kick-started my round. Overall, I played a good, solid round.”

Another South African, Teagan Moore, was solo fourth after a 68 while seven players carded three-under 69s, RAK Classic winner Peter Stojanovski (Australia), reigning order-of-merit champion Craig Hinton and his English compatriots Jamie Elson and Zane Scotland among them.

The steady start will be especially heartening for Scotland after the 10-time MENA Tour winner and the circuit’s only fully exempt player was forced to withdraw from the Creek Open after just 27 holes due to an on-going back injury.

Elson led this season’s order-of-merit race into the tour’s 10-week summer break but missed the resumption at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club last week as he successfully survived the first stage of European Tour Q-School in Scotland.

The 36-year-old former European Challenge Tour winner has stolen an early march on Fredrik From at The Els after the Swede took over top spot on the OOM with his T-4 finish at the Creek.

From signed for a even par 72 Monday to share 26th place with, among others, English amateurs Todd Clements (second equal last week with Presidents Cup-bound Indian No.1 Rayhan Thomas), Michael Gilbert and Jamie Richards. Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club amateur Michael Harradine opened with a 73 but it is the German, Marcus Toennessen, who leads the amateur leaderboard after a 71.

UAE’s Ahmed Al Musharrekh, three under through 13, had his chances to hit the front page of the leaderboard but dropped a couple of shots coming home and that left him sharing 26th on level-par.

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The 35-year-old, third at last week’s Casablanca Open after holding the 36-hole lead, capitalised on a steady start Sunday to fire a flawless five-under first round 66 at Royal Golf D’Anfa Club.

Corfield leads by two from Engishmen Adam Sagar and Jamie Elson while South African Tyler Hogarty, who won last year’s MENA Tour Championship, also signed for a 68.

Dutchman Pierre Junior Verlaar reeled off five birdies in his last six holes to card a 69 to lead the amateur standings which includes Dubai’s Rayhan Thomas who settled into a tie of 58^th place with a three over 74 in his first start of the season.

Corfield picked up four shots in a stunning three-hole stretch from the 7^th including an eagle on the 9^th before birdieing the final hole.

“I got off to a steady start with six pars in a row and then two birdies and an eagle on the next three holes got my round going,” said Corfield.

“It felt nice to finish with a birdie on the 18th. The course is in great shape though it was a bit tricky out there with the wind blowing. Really happy with my day’s work,” said Corfied, a four-time winner on the MENA Tour.

Hogarty recovered from a double bogey on the 1^st with seven birdies in nine holes in the middle of his round before dropping two further shots to finish the day three under.

Mohamed Belaroussia (Morocco) carded a two-under 69 to lead the MENA Division, one ahead of his compatriots Ahmed Marjan and Mehdi Saissi as Younes El Hassani, the winner of the Arab onours last week, settled for level-par 71.

Elsewhere, defending champion Zane Scotland (England) returned a 71 while Spain’s Leo Lilja, who won the Casablanca Open last week, signed for a 74 to join seasoned Andrew Marshall (England) in a tie for 58th, one ahead of former England cricketer Craig Kieswetter and two clear of Luke Joy on a day when 20 players broke par.

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The 35-year-old took a one-shot buffer into the final round of the tour’s season-opening Palmeraie Country Club Casablanca Open Thursday after adding a blemish free 66 Wednesday to his opening 68.

Corfield, -8 through 36 holes, was one clear of compatriot Stuart Archibald who also fired a 66 Wednesday while a second round 70 had first-round leader Luke Joy two adrift entering the final round of the $40,000, 54-holer.

Morocco’s Younes El Hassani, Scot Jack McDonald and Spaniard Leo Lilja shared fourth on -5 as three shots separated the top seven, promising a thrilling finish Thursday.

“Played pretty good on the front nine and scrambled very well coming in,” was Corfield’s assessment of his second round. “It was tricky out there because of the wind, but overall I am really pleased with my day’s work and looking forward to the final round.”

Archibald, who picked up two shots on the front nine and three more coming home Wednesday, will go in search of his maiden MENA Tour win today.

“It feels nice to post a bogey-free round early in the season which shows my game is in good shape. I drove the ball well and hit some nice iron shots,” said Archibald, who was placed tied fifth after an opening 69.

“I did hit a few errant shots, but managed to get away with them with some good up-and-downs and that kept the round going and ticking over.

“The course is really good this week. It’s quite long with firm fairways. There is not too much rough out there, but it’s well bunkered. If you miss the fairways, you can get punished. The greens are nice to putt on which is great. This course is really a good addition to the Moroccan swing.”

Morocco’s El Hassani matched the day’s best score of a 66 to keep alive his chances of a breakthrough win on the tour. “I am striking the ball really well. Holed some good putts out there.

“If I can keep the momentum rolling into the final round, I think I stand good chance to get the job done,” said the experienced El Hassani, who leads the MENA Division by four shots over his fellow countrymen Faycal Serghini and Ahmed-Reda Rhazali.

Elsewhere, England’s Andrew Marshall shot back-to-back 71s to take a share of 16^th on level par while Joshua White, the 2014 MENA Tour Order of Merit champion, moved into a tie for eighth on -1 after carding a second round 72. Dutchman Pierre Junior Verlaar stayed on top in the amateur division after a second round 71, five clear of England’s Todd Clements.

The cut was made at +3 145 with 54 professionals and 10 amateurs making it to the final round. Among the notables to miss out were 10-time winner Zane Scotland (+4), Ian Poulter’s brother Danny Poulter (+6) and former England cricketer Craig Kieswetter (+7).

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