You can call him Junior because that’s exactly the name to which Jiménez’s 23-year-old answers. Like father, like son, Jiménez Jnr’s name certainly shone on Tuesday’s leaderboard, even if it was the last on the list of 34 players to safely advance from the second of the regional Pro-Am circuit’s two Q-Schools in Aqaba. We’re sure his proud padre, the 21-time European Tour winner and reigning Senior (British) Open champion, is enjoying a celebratory Cuban somewhere right now.

But for the champagne story from Aqaba, you needed to look somewhere in between the recognisable names to discover the completion of a remarkable comeback from Dubai-domiciled English teen Josh Hill.

After signing for an opening 80 at Ayla on Sunday, he 14-year-old Trump Dubai club-member had a mountain to climb to secure his status for the 10-event “Journey to Jordan’ which begins on Friday, also at Ayla G.C.

A second round 69 ensured he made the 36-hole cut Monday before a 70 eventually saw Hill finish T-27 on +3, two shots inside the snip for full playing status this season. Perhaps for dramatic effect, the England U-16 international left it late to ensure his card with birdies on the 16th and 17th on Tuesday.

Josh Hill (right) with Andy Sullivan and Rory McIlroy in a file pic from 2018.

As an amateur, Hill won’t be eligible for a single dollar of the $825,000 on offer across the MENA Tour’s 10 event season. which starts (on Friday), resumes (the start of the ‘Autumn Swing’ in September) and climaxes (the $100,000 Tour Championship in late November) at the same Aqaba resort course.

But by safely negotiating Q-School, Hill has earned a priceless opportunity to test himself against players much further up the slippery slope to elite professional golf. Players like Baldwin who won medallist honours at the category B qualifier with just one bogey in 54-holes en route to a 12-under total of 204.

RELATED: Spaniard Lucas Vacarisas wins first Q-School + all the category A qualifiers 

A closing 70 on Tuesday, including his sole blemish of the week on the par-4 5th, got the job done for Baldwin who won by two strokes from fellow Englishman James Allan. Scot Conor O’Neil was third a stroke further back.

Baldwin shapes as an early favourite for the tour’s $100,000, 72-hole season-opener starting back at Ayla G.C. on Friday.   

The 32-year-old is using the first half of the MENA Tour’s 10-event schedule – the ‘Spring Swing’ including later this week in Jordan and $75,000 events in Ajman, Oman, Dubai and Bahrain up to mid-March – to tune his game for the second tier Challenge Tour. It comes after Baldwin lost his European Tour status last season with a €141,569 return from his lowly 164th place in the 2018 Race to Dubai standings,

For the record, Jiménez Jnr carded rounds of 71-72-78 for a 221, +5 aggregate.

Hill was the only amateur to secure a card from category B. Swede Oliver Jacobssen and Australia Max Duffy were the players left most disappointed after missing out on playing privileges by a solitary stroke. 

Full scores and category B qualifiers can be found here.

The post Miguel Ángel Jiménez’s eldest son and a Dubai 14-year-old among those to secure MENA Tour cards in Jordan appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
Josh Hill’s MENA Tour dream was on the rocks after the 14-year-old signed for an 80 in the opening round of the regional Pro-Am circuit’s category B Q-School in Jordan on Sunday. Cue that timeless old cliché about form being temporary and class hard earned.

A three-under-par 69 at Ayla Golf Club on Monday has seen the Dubai-domiciled English U-16 amateur representative make the 36-hole cut in Aqaba and with breathing space too; his five-over 149 aggregate was three shots inside the snip.

Hill still has much work to do to capture one of the 30 cards on offer at the second of the two qualifiers ahead of the start of the tour’s 10-event schedule on Friday, also at Ayla G.C. The teen was solo 42nd overnight, three shots adrift of professional compatriot Jacob Oakley who has a tenuous grip on 30th place at two-over-par following contrasting rounds of 69-77.

That Hill is even in the conversation is remarkable though given Sunday’s horror opening in Aqaba, a round featuring four bogeys, a double and even a triple bogey. But the new Trump International Golf Club, Dubai member displayed on Monday one of golf’s greatest commodities – bounce back-ability by producing three birdies in an otherwise blemish-free round which highlighted his fighting capabilities.

RELATED: Meet Josh Hill, the hottest amateur talent from Dubai since Rayhan Thomas

Hill was one of three amateurs among the 49-players (from 66 starters) to make the cut; German Julian Ballmann is T-43 on +6 and Emirati Abdulla Al Qubaisi T-47 on +8. Sadly, Hill’s pals Toby Bishop and Arjun Gupta weren’t able to recover after also posting 80s in the opening round. Bishop signed for a 73 on Monday to finish +9 while Gupta was disqualified.

Remember these names – Josh Hill, Arjun Gupta and Toby Bishop. You will be hearing an awful lot about Dubai golf’s ‘Three Musketeers’ in the years to come.

They start an incredible golf adventure with the @theMENATour!https://t.co/VuJ5VPmb1t pic.twitter.com/TzdljenHPW

— MENA Tour (@theMENATour) January 12, 2019

Challenge Tour-bound Englishman Matthew Baldwin is on course for wire-to-wire medallist honours in Aqaba after backing up his opening 68 with a blemish free, six-under 66 on Monday to be -10. Baldwin has played the opening 36 holes without a bogey and will take a one stroke lead over countryman James Allan into Tuesday’s final round. Scot Jack Doherty is third on -7 after also carding a 66 on Monday.

RELATED: Matthew Baldwin finds the MENA Tour a handy tune-up to a career at the crossroads

The post Dubai 14-year-old Josh Hill fires second-round 69 in Jordan to revive his MENA Tour dream 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.

By Kent Gray
Englishman Tom Shadbolt is on course to claim medallist honours at the first of the MENA Tour’s two Q-Schools which serve as a prelude to the developmental circuit’s new ‘Journey to Jordan’.

Shadbolt backed up an opening 68 with a second round 69 at Ayla Golf Club in Aqaba on Thursday to be -7 through two-thirds of the 54-hole qualifier.

He’ll take a one-stroke lead into Friday’s final round over countryman Alastair Kinnaird (70-68) and Spaniard Lucas Vacarisas, the first round leader who has strung together scores of 65-73.

“It feels good to be leading going into the final day,” Shadbolt said.

“I didn’t play my best stuff today but don’t feel like it’s too far away. Hopefully I can build on a strong start and go on to win it tomorrow. That would be a great way to start the year.”

Four amateurs are in the top-10 heading into Friday, lead by England’s Curtis Knipes who is T-5 on -2 after rounds of 68-74.

Amateur Curtis Knipes is T-5

“I felt good today. Obviously, I’ve not been able to play a lot of golf over winter so I had a week’s practice in Dubai and it’s put me in a good position to play some good golf since I’ve arrived in Jordan,” said Knipes.

“The plan is to stay as an amateur until the end of the year and see how it goes. I’m hoping to stay in the Middle East to play all of the MENA events. I’ve been blown away by the facilities here at Ayla so looking forward to an exciting year.”

The top 42-players plus ties made the 36-hole cut which fell at +8. Among the eventual 43 players to survive were six amateurs: Knipes (-2), fellow Englishmen Jack Floydd (-1), Ben Davies (even), Alex Talbot (even) and Will Percival, as well as Lithuanian Gediminas Markevicius who like Percival squeezed in on the +8 bubble.

Only the top 30 players – both amateurs and professionals – plus ties will earn cards for the 10-event ‘Journey to Jordan” which opens with a $100,000 event back at Ayla Golf Club from Feb. 8-11 – but not before another 54 hole qualifier beginning on Sunday.

Among the 16 players to miss the cut on Thursday were former Zimbabwean World Cup cricketer Sean Irvine. The retired Hampshire county all-rounder had two rounds of 79 for a +14 aggregate to miss the chop by six strokes.

The post Shadbolt on cusp of perfect start to MENA Tour’s ‘Journey to Jordan’ appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
Spaniard Lucas Vacarisas has made a fast start to the MENA Tour’s new ‘Journey to Jordan’ on a blustery opening day at the first of the revived regional developmental circuit’s two qualifying schools.

An impressive seven-under 65 at Ayla Golf Club in Aqaba has earned the world No.2004 a three-shot lead heading into Thursday’s second round of the 54-hole ‘Category A’ Q-School.

Englishman Tom Shabolt and the European Challenge Tour player’s amateur compatriot Curtis Knipes share second place overnight after 68s. Two other amateurs are on the front page of the leaderboard, England’s Jack Floydd and Lithuania’s Gediminas Markevicius both carding 70s for a share of sixth.

The leading 42 players plus ties will survive Thursday’s 36-hole cut from which the top-30 players (both professionals and amateurs) will earn cards for the 10-event season ‘Journey to Jordan’ which officially starts at Ayla Golf Club with a $US100,000, 72-hole event from Feb. 8-11.

Before then a second Q-School tournament will be held next week, also at the Aqaba resort. It’s a place every player involved will hope to become very familiar with this season; the $US100,000 Mena Tour Championship will also be hosted in Aqaba in late November.

Former Zimbabwean cricket international Sean Ervine is one of the players with work to do on the Thursday. The 36-year-old Englishman, who played at the 2003 World Cup and retired last year after 14 seasons of county cricket for Hampshire, opened with a 79 in his first pro round.

It left Irvine in a share of 52nd place in the 59-man field but only two shots outside of a big group in a tie for 43 and still very much in the hunt. Check out this video on the all-rounder’s own journey to Jordan and pro golf here: 

A bogey-free front nine out in 32 set the tone for 30-year-old Vacarisa who later responded to a bogey on 12 by closing out with birdies on 13, 15 and 17.

Shabolt was also pleased with his first day’s work.

“It was great to get back in the swing of things for 2019 and put myself in a strong position to gain my MENA Tour card. The course and facilties here at Ayla Golf Club are brilliant and I’m excited to get out there tomorrow for round two.”

The post Spaniard tops day one at MENA Tour Q-School while Hampshire cricketer Sean Irvine has work to do to survive 36-hole cut Thursday appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The Scotsman (pictured second from left) won the tour’s Q-School by three strokes last week but will miss the US$40,000, 54-hole Casablanca Open which concludes at Palmeraie Country Club Thursday to attend his brother Paul’s stag-do in the United Kingdom.

Jack is expected to make his debut proper alongside Paul, a former MENA Tour winner, in next week’s Royal Golf Mohammedia Open, also in Casablanca, before teeing it up in the April 24-26 Ras Al Khaimah Classic at Tower Links, the third event of the season before a three-tournament Thailand swing.

Jack Doherty started the final round of Q-School at Royal Golf El Jadida two shots off the pace and recovered from two early bogeys to fire a three under-par 69 to finish on 216, even par.

He led a Scotland one-two with 2015 Walker Cup rep Grant Forrest carding a final round 73 to finish runner-up on +3, a shot ahead of a Spaniards Gabriel Canizares and Leonardo Axel Lilja Moyano and Englishman Paul Dwyer.

India’s Feroz Singh Garewal, who shared the 36-hole lead with Moyano, slipped into a tie of 10th on +7 after signing for a 78 while England’s Danny Poulter, the brother of Ryder Cupper Ian, finished in a three-way tie for 7^th on six-over 222, a stroke behind England’s Nicholas McCarthy.

Former England cricketer Craig Kieswetter, who has set himself the target of being a regular on the European Tour, birdied two of his last four holes for a closing 75 that left him in a share of 31st at 18 over.

Elsewhere, UAE’s Ahmed Al Musharrekh finished in a tie for 53rd on 23 over after posting a final round 78 as the top 55 and ties from the final stage were awarded the MENA Tour cards for the 2017 season.

An initiative of the Shaikh Maktoum Golf Foundation, the MENA Golf Tour was created in 2011 with the aim of developing golf in the region. It is affiliated to R&A and the Arab Golf Federation and enjoys Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) status.

Multiple European Tour starts, including the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, the Hassan II Trophy and the Maybank Championship Malaysia in addition to full playing privileges on the Sunshine Tour and exemptions into the final stage of the Asian Tour Q-School for the leading three professionals are among the incentives for the MENA Tour members.

Pictured above (L to R) are the MENA Tour’s Robbie Williams, Q-School champion Jack Doherty, chief referee Abdelatif Elbachari and Royal Golf El Jadida manager Redouane Diab.

The post Q-School winner Jack Doherty to bypass MENA Tour opener in Casablanca appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The 19-year-old Chandigarh-based golfer, who turned professional in 2015, reeled off three birdies and a bogey to join Spain’s Leonardo Axel Lilja Moyano, who carded a level-par 72, atop the leaderboard on one over par 145.

England’s Billy Hemstock, Scotland’s Walker Cup winning star Grant Forrest and Sweden’s Henric Sturehed, who matched Garewal’s best score of the day, shared second, a further shot adrift, as Scot Jack Doherty occupied solo sixth on three over after carding a second-round 74.

Lilja Moyano produced one of the most eventful rounds of the day, playing his last 15 holes in four-under after a stumbling start that saw the Spaniard drop four shots in his first three holes.

Overnight joint leader Danny Poulter slipped into a tie for 11th on five over after signing for a 76 while former England cricketer Craig Kieswetter finished the day tied for 44th on 15 over after dropping eight shots, including a triple bogey on the par-4, 14th, in his last 11 holes en route to an indifferent 82.

Elsewhere, Ahmed Al Musharrekh also carded a mistake-laden 82 that left the UAE’s only professional sharing 53rd on 17 over on a day when only four players broke par.

The field was narrowed down to 72 players for the final 18-holes. The top 55 and ties will be eligible for Category-7 membership of the MENA Golf Tour for the 2017 season.

Multiple European Tour starts, including at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, the Hassan II Trophy and the Maybank Championship Malaysia, in addition to full playing privileges on the Sunshine Tour and exemptions into the final stage of the Asian Tour Q-School for the leading three professionals, are among the incentives for the MENA Golf Tour members.

The post Rising Indian star Garewal shares MENA Tour Q-School lead heading into final round appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The 26-year-old Sharjah native is one of 86 players set to contest the MENA Golf Tour’s 54-hole qualifying school in Morocco from Tuesday. A minimum of 50 players will earn cards at the Royal Golf El Jadida course ahead of a 15-event season which culminates in November’s Tour Championship at Al Ain Equestrian, Golf & Shooting Club.

Al Musharrekh turned professional in late 2012 after capturing that season’s GCC Amateur Championship title as well as individual and team gold medals in the 2011 Arab Games. He remains the UAE’s first and only pro but his journey in the paid ranks has been challenging and intermittent after he missed 2015 completing mandatory national service in the UAE Navy.

He’s hoping some recent swing changes and a hardened attitude will hold him in good stead for the three-day Q-school in the picturesque port city of El Jadida on the Atlantic coast of Morocco.

“My lessons with Dong Lee [his Dubai Golf Academy coach] have shown positive progress in my game ranging from my course management and swing to ball striking and overall fitness. I’m more focused, more disciplined,” said Al Musharrekh, who plans to play all the MENA Tour events this season.

“I still have a few kinks which I hope to iron out soon through training and hard work. Each time I step onto the tee, I hope to play better than before.

“Like every player in the field, my goal is to win the tournament. My game is definitely good enough to win, but will take things as they come. One step at a time is good walking.”

Al Musharrekh carries the weigh of a nation on his shoulders and admitted last year that the step-up from amateur golf had been steep, “a huge change”.

“It’s more physically and mentally challenging, on and off the course,” he told Sport 360 at the time.

“It’s not like having a hobby where you’re just a boy and having fun playing, carefree and happy, with nothing on your shoulders. All of a sudden, you turn pro and you’ve got all this expectation, from yourself, but also externally.

“That’s been a huge shift, having to play with that and dealing with stuff off the course, like social media, sponsorships, and having to grow up. It’s something I’ve had to deal with. But we see great examples of this on tour, you see all these young guys thriving and dealing with things in a fantastic way, so it just gives me a push to keep going and see where I get to.”

Al Musharrekh hopes to become the second Arab golfer after Morocco’s Ahmed Marjan to win a MENA Tour event but knows the competition is getting stiffer as the tour grows. This year it includes stops in Morocco, Kuwait, Thailand, South Africa, Oman and the UAE, including the first 72 hole tournament, the US$50,000 Pattana Golf Championship.

The field will play for just $6000 this week (the winner earns $2500) but the opportunity is priceless – for many a pro dream lifeline and others an amateur finishing school.

“The level of competition is becoming more intense, but I am confident I can embrace the challenges and opportunities with a positive attitude.” Al Musharrekh said.

“With world ranking points on offer, I think more and more players from the Arab world will be encouraged to turn professional and contribute to the overall development of the game. Even in the UAE we have some very good golfers with a competitive passion for the game and I do hope they will think about making a career out of doing something they love,” said Ahmed,

Seven amateurs are among the 86 entries signed up for Morocco with England leading the chart with 38 followed by India (nine), Spain (seven) and the United States (six).

The Q-School offers members the opportunity to earn full playing privileges on the tour in addition to becoming eligible for Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points.

Multiple European Tour starts, including the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, the Hassan II Trophy and the Maybank Championship Malaysia in addition to full playing privileges on the Sunshine Tour and exemptions into the final stage of the Asian Tour Q-School for the leading three professionals are some of the added incentives for the MENA Golf Tour members.

The post Emirati pro golf pioneer <br> Ahmed Al Musharrekh <br> eyes MENA Tour breakthrough appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.