Frenchman Sebastien Gros is determined to resuscitate his career this year and has made a brilliant start by winning the inaugural $75,000 NEWGIZA Open, the first MENA Tour by Arena event staged in Egypt.

The 31-year-old, a two-time champion on the Challenge Tour who lost his European Tour card in 2018 after playing at the highest level for three years, started the final round two shots behind overnight leader Curtis Knipes and finished two ahead of the runner-up David Hague.

Gros (67) played a second straight bogey-free round that was one better than his second-round four-under-par 68 to reach 13-under par 203 and take home the winner’s cheque of $13,500.

Young Hague, who decided to turn pro after securing his card at the MENA Tour Qualifying School, almost turned his second start as a professional into a dream win, charging through the field with a seven-under-par 65. He could have finished much better than his eventual 11-under par but paid the price of making a late bogey on the par-5 17th hole.

Ireland’s Conor Purcell (67) made a great start to his MENA Tour career as well, finishing tied third alongside the promising Swede, Niclas Weiland (68). Knipes (73) never got going after a triple-bogey seven on the par-4 eighth hole and finally finished tied fifth at nine-under-par 207 along with Scotland’s Scott Henry (69) and England’s Abu Dhabi-based Luke Joy (69).

“This is fantastic. I have worked very hard this winter along with my team and to get a win so early in the season is surely going to give me a lot of confidence going forward,” said Gros.

The Frenchman took full advantage of the easier opening stretch of NEWGIZA, making three birdies in his first four holes, and then added two more in a round which saw him hit 16 greens in regulation.

“I missed the green on the eight and had a poor tee shot on the 16th. Those were the only two holes where I had to battle for pars. It was very solid otherwise,” he added.

“I got off to a good start and was very pleased when I two-putted for birdie from 95 feet on the third. That was a very good first putt to tap-in distance despite facing two or three breaks. Immediately after that, I hit what was possibly my best shot of the day on the fourth – a five-iron against the wind to about six feet.

“It was after that fourth hole that I felt I could win this. My long game was very good throughout the day once again, and even though I missed a few other birdie chances, I putted well too.”

Hague, who entered the MENA Tour Qualifying School as an amateur, turned pro right after securing his card, and was delighted with his performance this early in his professional career.

“I got off to a hot start and was eight-under-par through 13 holes. Slightly disappointed with the finish as I missed a birdie chance from six feet on the 15th, then three-putted from 15 feet on the 17th hole for my only bogey of the day. And I missed an eight-footer on the 18th,” said the 23-year-old from Molton, near York.

“But seven-under-par is a great round and I am really pleased with the way I have played, especially after missing the cut last week in Jordan.”

The MENA Tour by Arena next moves to Muscat, Oman, for the Ghala Open from February 17-19. The winner of the tournament gets a spot at the European Tour’s Oman Open, held the following week at Al Mouj Golf.

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By Kent Gray
Curtis Knipes’ professional career might be in its infancy but the English teen is clearly in a hurry to get his maiden win in the paid ranks.

The 19-year-old set his stall out early, stating before the start of the 9th MENA Tour by Arena season that winning the season-long Journey to Jordan was his “main goal” as well as to “be consistent throughout the season and make some money.”

Fast-forward a week and Knipes has made good on that promise thus far. After a T-8 finish at the Journey to Jordan #1 championship in Aqaba, his professional debut, he made a blistering start to the new $75,000 NEWGIZA Open in Cairo on Tuesday, a bogey-free, six-under-par 66 earning a two-shot lead over seven players.

Indeed, taking advantage of the relatively benign morning conditions at NEWGIZA Golf Club, Knipes bolted out of the blocks with five birdies in his opening seven holes. He had to wait until the par-5 17th, where he holed a slightly fortuitous downhill, left-to-right breaker from 18-feet, to pick up another shot but it was good enough to earn the handy buffer over Scotsman Scott Henry, Englishmen Joshua McMahon, Tom Sloman, Joe Heraty and Robbie Busher, Frenchman Sébastien Gros and Swede Niclas Weiland.

“Yeah, very happy to get a bogey-free round in obviously,” said Knipes who later relayed frustration in being unable to convert good chances on the 9th, 12th and 14th, the latter when he wedged it tight and saw a short putt burn the lip of the cup.

“The nine pars after the hot start was a little bit frustrating because when you feel like you are on a roll you want to keep the momentum going.”

It’s not that Knipes is grumbling. He’s played his last three rounds in a combined 10-under-par and could have seriously challenged in Aqaba save for an opening 76. Indeed, if he’d been able to wipe four shots off that opening round to the season and sign for an even-par round, he’d have finished solo second at Ayla Golf Club.

But it’s a new week and a new venue for the MENA Tour with Egypt the 12th country to host an event on the regional development circuit as the 9th season heats up.

“The golf course, yeah, it’s a great track, I really like it. I think the layout’s really good and the set-up, it’s in really good condition, the greens are rolling nice,” said Knipes who qualified for last year’s Open Championship at Royal Portrush as an amateur.

“Conditions today, obviously this morning it was a lot calmer, there wasn’t too much wind which was nice, obviously give me the opportunity to get off to a good start and take advantage of that. It picked up a little bit towards the back nine, especially the last few holes which were playing quite hard coming back into the wind. Conditions are pretty fair out there [now] but I think we are in for a windy one tomorrow.

Knipes has one of the latter starts in Wednesday’s second round, off the 10th at 11.45am. He’ll be determined to make the most of his great start though after earning amateur honours in three events last season, twice alongside Dubai teen Josh Hill who went on to pip Knipes for the amateur Journey to Jordan OOM title.

England’s Curtis Knipes, who made headlines by qualifying for @TheOpen at @royalportrush last year, shot a six-under par 66 in the first round and is leading the NEWGIZA Open in Cairo, Egypt, by two shots.

He spoke about his bogey-free round and the golf course…@NEWGIZAegypt pic.twitter.com/XnpRnuANRW

— MENA Tour (@theMENATour) February 11, 2020

Englishman David Langley, fresh from winning the season-opening Journey to Jordan #1 Championship last week, signed for a two-under 70 that could have been better save for a double-bogey seven on the 14th. Defending professional Journey to Jordan champion MG Keyser also had a 70 in his opening round of the season.

Former European Tour winners Romain Wattel and Richard Finch carded scores of 72 and one-over 73 respectively while the UAE’s only professional, Ahmed Al Musharrekh, fought back well from being two-over after six holes to finish on one-under-par 71.

Shergo Al Kurdi mixed six bogeys with two birdies in a 74 that left the Jordanian T-68 in the 85-strong field and with huge ground to make up if he is to figure anywhere near as prominently as his T-2 finish in Aqaba last week where he become the first player from the GCC to earn Official World Golf Ranking and Olympic qualifying points. The English-domiciled teen at least has the consolation of a share of the amateur lead in Egypt alongside Saudi Arabia’s Ali Alsakha.

The post Rookie English pro Curtis Knipes fires 66 for first round lead in Egypt appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
Egypt will become the 12th country to host an official MENA Tour event in the regional circuit’s eight and a bit season history when the $75,000 NEWGIZA Open begins on Tuesday morning. It also serves as a refreshing start to MG Keyser’s defence of the circuit’s season-long Journey to Jordan title.

After sitting out the first event of the season in Aqaba last week, the 32-year-old South African is raring to go at NEWGIZA Golf Club, a 7,351-yard, par-72, Thomson Perrett & Lobb-design that opened to rave reviews last year.

RELATED: MENA Tour champion MG Keyser to continue winging it

Keyser was resting while Englishman David Langley and Jordanian amateur Shergo Al Kurdi stole the headlines at Ayla Golf Club but returns to action on the outskirts of Cairo after an encouraging T-66 finish at last month’s brutally tough OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic. The €6,031 payday was the Dubai-domiciled pro’s reward after earning the start at Emirates Golf Club courtesy of his MENA Tour Order-of-Merit win last season.

“I feel like I had a nice break and playing the Omega Dubai Desert Classic was a nice way to start the year. I am focused, prepared and ready to go,” said Keyser who is also guaranteed a start in the Made in Denmark in May and the Diamond Cup, a co-sanctioned event on the Asian and Japan Tours, as the reigning Journey to Jordan OOM champion.

“Having loads of opportunities in Europe and Asia is definitely a bonus for me this year, thanks to the MENA Tour and my management company. It is going to be fun and getting a good start on the MENA Tour in Egypt will obviously help build a lot with confidence going into the rest of the year.”

The challenge for Keyser and co. in Cairo might be keeping their mind on the golf with the Great Pyramids of Giza, the oldest of the seven ancient wonders of the world, serving as a stunning backdrop this week. The subtle intricacies of the course, which meanders through an old quarry, will be no cinch either with no rough but dramatic changes in elevation, lakes and gnarly desert waste areas to contend with.

“I played the course for the first time yesterday and really enjoyed the challenge,” said Keyser, a three-time MENA Tour winner. “It’s a fun course to play and in excellent condition. All 18 holes were really nice and very challenging in the wind, but the par 3s are especially good.”

RELATED: NEWGIZA is a new, aesthetically pleasing test for MENA Tour’s best

They were playing a mutual appreciation game on the eve of the tournament with NEWGIZA Director of Golf Ali Mohamed hinting at an increased Egyptian presence on the developmental circuit soon.

“It really is a matter of great pride for us that we will be hosting our first MENA Tour event on our golf course,” said Mohamed. “We have received some very good reviews since our launch and we are confident that the professional players will find it challenging.

“We have had some very good talks with the MENA Tour and we’d like to help them extend their presence here in Egypt. We have another golf course in Sokhna by the Red Sea and we are looking at having another tournament there.”

Former European Tour winners Richard Finch (ENG) and Romain Wattel have bolstered the 86-strong field this week.

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