By Joy Chakravarty
Sweden’s Niclas Weiland, in his first season as a professional, made the most of his invite from the MENA Tour by Arena to win the Ras Al Khaimah Open after making an eagle on the first playoff hole against close friend and roommate Gabriel Axell on Wednesday.

At Tower Links Golf Club, the 24-year-old Weiland was solid throughout the round playing in the leader group for a five-under par 67, which helped him match the 17-under par 199 clubhouse lead set by Axell after a storming final round of eight-under par 64.

Two European Challenge Tour stars, Scotland’s Scott Henry (70) and Switzerland’s Marco Iten (69) were tied for the third place at 15-under par 201.

England’s 20-year-old Ben Jones was the Leading Amateur at eight-under par, while Saudi Arabia’s Othman Almulla continued his fine work from last evening (three birdies in last three holes to make his first cut as a professional) to shoot the lowest round of his career – a seven-under par 65 – and finished as the highest placed MENA player at 207.

MENA Tour

In the beginning, it looked like a romp for Henry, who was five-under par through 10 holes and leading by four shots at that point. But just like the second round, the 32-year-old Scotsman faltered on the back nine and three bogeys coming in killed his chances.

Weiland was two-under par through 12 holes, but the big swing came his way when he birdied the par-5 13th and the par-4 14th holes, while Henry parred the 13th and dropped shots on the 14th and 15th holes.

Axell was off to a hot start, making birdies on six of his first seven holes, before a bogey on the ninth. He then dropped another shot on the par-3 16th, but finished strong with two birdies in the final two holes.

In the play-off, Weiland hit his second shot to 20 feet on the par-5 18th, while Axell stuffed his to eight feet. But Weiland calmly rolled in his eagle putt, while Axell’s slipped past.

After winning the RAK Open by Arena earlier today, @NiclasWeiland spoke to us on the eventful day. pic.twitter.com/P2ManLmRW9

— MENA Tour (@theMENATour) October 30, 2019

“It just feels amazing to be able to get the win so early in my professional career. Having studied in Florida (Barry University), I loved the weather here in the UAE the moment I landed and I just kept a very positive attitude throughout the three events I played in the MENA Tour,” said Weiland, who finished tied second in Abu Dhabi and then tied eighth in Al Ain.

“I have been playing very well and I was confident of doing well again this week. However, the way Henry played the front nine, I thought I was playing for the second prize. He was a bit unlucky on the back nine, while I kept hitting some good shots and made some putts.

“It was amazing to go up in the play-off against Gabriel. We are very good friends and we travel together. We had decided before the play-off that we will split the prize fund no matter who wins, and I am OK with that. Just that he has already started to ask me about the money transfer!”

Axell, one of the most unique players in the world of golf who swings right-handed and putts left-handed, was disappointed not to win, but felt satisfied with his effort.

Gabriel Axell played his 'heart out' on the final day of the RAK Open by Arena to shoot an 8-under par 64. It was good enough to get him into a play-off, which he lost to his close friend @NiclasWeiland.

Axell spoke on his day after the round… @RAKTourism @TowerlinksGolf pic.twitter.com/saIAnrw9Z3

— MENA Tour (@theMENATour) October 30, 2019

“I played great golf and actually thought after the two closing birdies that I would end up one short. So, to get into the playoff was a bonus. I made a birdie on the extra hole, but Niclas made an eagle, so I can’t complain,” said Axell, who had last won on the Nordic Tour four years ago and lost a tournament on the same Tour earlier this year in a play-off.

Iten, who is heading to the second stage of the European Tour Qualifying School next week, was counting the positives after finishing tied third.

“It was important that I got off to a good start, but I did not. I was one-over after 12 holes, so to make four birdies after that was good. Nothing can beat a victory, but this has been an excellent week for me ahead of the Q School and I hope to return and play a few events next year on the MENA Tour.”

The Tour now has a break before it returns for the season-ending Journey To Jordan Final, which will feature the top-60 players from the Order of Merit. The tournament will be played at Ayla Golf Club in Aqaba, Jordan, from November 25-29.

LEADING SCORES (after the final round of Ras Al Khaimah Open by Arena):
199 – Niclas Weiland (SWE) 65-67-67, Gabriel Axell (SWE) 67-68-64
(Weiland won on the first extra hole with an eagle)
201 – Marco Iten (SUI) 64-68-69, Scott Hendry (SCO) 65-66-70
204 – MG Keyser (RSA) 70-69-65, Craig Ross (SCO) 69-68-67, Joshua Grenville-Wood (ENG) 65-71-68
205 – Erik Lindwall (SWE) 72-68-65, Mathias Weidermann (SWE) 68-71-66, Robbie Busher (ENG) 47-70-69, Kyson Lloyd (ENG) 68-65-72
206 – Harry Ellis (ENG) 69-68-69, Daniel Gaunt (AUS) 67-68-71

The post Young Weiland shows his class to win RAK Open by Arena appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

This time it was out of work European Challenge Tour player Marco Iten making waves, two back-nine eagles helping the Swiss pro come home in just 30 strokes in an opening round of eight-under 64 at Tower Links Golf Club.

The 29-year-old from Zurich, playing on a special exemption in an effort to gain some match sharpness ahead of the second stage of European Tour Qualifying School next week, leads the Ras Al Khaimah Open by Arena by a shot from Swede Niclas Weiland, Scot Scott Henry and Englishman Joshua Grenville-Wood.

Grenville-Wood continued a day of spectacular shot-making in the northern emirate, holing out from 139 yards on the par-4 15th for an eagle in his 65.

Daniel Gaunt, starting the final regular-season stop second behind MG Keyser in the season-long Journey To Jordan race, made an early move, opening with a five-under-par 67, three shots better than the South African leader who was T-19 overnight.

Josh Hill, who created worldwide headlines last week by becoming the youngest winner of an Official World Golf Ranking event, struggled on the greens and came home in 78 after missing more than half a dozen par putts from inside six-eight feet range. The leading amateur after a opening 69 was Hill’s playing partner and “Penultimate 4” leader Robin Tiger Williams who has made a handy start after his record romp at the Journey to Jordan #2 Championship late last month.

Iten started in bright fashion, hitting it to six feet on the first two par-4 holes. Another gain on the par-5 5th was erased by his only bogey of the day on the eighth and he made the turn at two-under.

On the back nine, Iten eagled the 13th hole when he smashed a three-wood downwind from 290 yards to 20 feet and on the 18th, where he converted a 15-footer. He also had birdies on the 10th and 15th.

“It was a good day. I got off to a fast start and managed to carry that momentum on to the back nine. I was able to hit both the par-5s in two and make my putts,” said Iten, who lost his card on the European Challenge Tour this year.

“It definitely is a great confidence booster ahead of the second stage of the Q School next week. I can do with a few tournament rounds ahead of that and was looking for a place to play and some of my friends told me how good the MENA Tour is. I am thankful for the opportunity and hopefully, we can take the momentum from this round to the next two days.”

After enjoying a superb start of 8-under par 64 and leading the RAK Open by Arena, Switzerland’s Marco Iten says it is a great confidence boost ahead of the 2nd stage of European Tour Q School, and that we can see more of him in 2020 season. pic.twitter.com/JIMNoxmI99

— MENA Tour (@theMENATour) October 28, 2019

Switzerland’s Marco Iten showed no effects of coming from the cold climate of Zurich to the heat of Ras Al Khaimah!
Two eagles on the back nine helped him climb to the top of the leaderboard at 8-under par 64 on day one of the RAK Open by Arena. pic.twitter.com/EIeg1avktN

— MENA Tour (@theMENATour) October 28, 2019

Henry was bogey-free in his 65, while Weiland made one bogey.

“It’s always easier when a guy in the group is making all the putts like Niclas did. We both played well and I think we fed off each other quite nicely,” said the affable Scotsman.

LEADING SCORES (after Round One of Ras Al Khaimah Open by Arena):

64 – Marco Iten (SUI)
65 – Niclas Weiland (SWE), Scott Hendry (SCO), Joshua Grenville-Wood (ENG)
67 – Daniel Gaunt (AUS), Benjamin David (ENG), Alessandro Tadini (ITA), Jake Ayers (ENG), Robbie Busher (ENG), Gabriel Axell (SWE)
68 – Erik Jonasson (SWE), Kyson Lloyd (ENG), Alex Belt (ENG), Matthias Weiderman
69 – Craig Ross (SCO), Robin ‘Tiger’ Williams (Am-ENG), Harry Ellis (ENG), Gustaf Kocken (SWE)

Playing in the second group out this morning in Round 1 of the RAK open by Arena, @NiclasWeiland and @ScottHenryGolf fed off each other and posted the marker at seven-under par 65. pic.twitter.com/mfqSN6NpJP

— MENA Tour (@theMENATour) October 28, 2019

The post Swiss pro Iten flying high on two eagles at RAK Open appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.