By Kent Gray
Rayhan Thomas has U.S. left-hander Akshay Bhatia in his crosshairs as he looks to cap the first half of the most “awesome”  week of his young golf career in style.

The MENA Tour trailblazer will meet the 15-year-old North Carolina star at 8:40am local time (3:40pm UAE time) as the International team look to overcome a 9-3 deficit, and huge odds, to win the inaugural Junior Presidents Cup in New Jersey.

Bhatia, 8th on the American Junior Golf Association rankings, and will take some beating. David Toms’ captain’s pick for the U.S., Bhatia won both his fourball and foursomes matches on Monday at Plainfield Country Club and brought three 2017 wins with him to Edison, including victory in the Junior PGA Championship.

But if Thomas can replicate some of the shot making he displayed on the opening day, the Wake Forest lefty is in for a ding-dong battle.

The 17-year-old Dubai-born Indian No.1 holed a clutch putt on the 18th hole to fight back from 3 down to earn a half against Noah Goodwin and fellow Texan Cole Hammer in the first morning fourball match out. The WAGR No.31 again teamed with South African Garrick Higgo for the afternoon foursomes and while the International pair were well beaten 4&3 by Goodwin and South Carolina’s Trent Phillips, Thomas still battled gamely with shots like this birdie putt on Plainfield’s 7th hole:

@RayhanThomas is on ? with the flatstick at the #JrPresidentsCup. Another clutch bird at 7 cuts the deficit to 1down in pm foursomes pic.twitter.com/ntdVu4svpP

— Golf Digest ME (@GolfDigestME) September 25, 2017

There were also a couple of delightful chips:

The kid has serious game. @RayhanThomas bringing his @theMENATour upbringing to the fore at #JrPresidentsCup. You got 2B proud@JParsonsGolf pic.twitter.com/v82M6JkypX

— Golf Digest ME (@GolfDigestME) September 25, 2017

@RayhanThomas burns hole with another classy chip but US eagle to go 3up #JrPresidentsCup pic.twitter.com/qAVIxzVQUW

— Golf Digest ME (@GolfDigestME) September 25, 2017

Typically, Thomas doesn’t know when he is beaten and insists the U.S. haven’t got got their hands on the trophy just yet.

“I can’t wait for tomorrow’s round playing Akshay Bhatia. He’s a great player so I can’t wait to start and get things going and hopefully coming back from this large deficit and trying to win this thing,” Thomas told Golf Digest Middle East.

”We are all capable of winning our matches and I think if we put our hearts and souls into it, I think we can definitely pull it off. Overall I just want to have some fun. I’ve learned a lot this week and it’s not even the end of the week for me at least cause I stay on till October 1st for the [senior] Presidents Cup [starting at nearby Liberty National on Thursday].”

Thomas described Monday’s matches in tandem with Higgo as “super fun” and an “awesome experience”.

Related: Watch Rayhan Thomas make a clutch birdie to earn historic half at Jnr Presidents Cup

“To get that half in the first match was awesome, I mean we were down early, three down after 11,  but we got that half point which was huge against probably the top pair from the U.S. team.

“In the afternoon we sort of put ourselves in a bit of a hole early on which cost us. It took a lot out of us trying to get out of that hole which we could have done easily on the stretch from 10 to 13. We had a lot of good chances but…”

You suspect Thomas won’t leave any but’s or what if’s out there Tuesday against Bhatia.

The post Thomas to face U.S. lefty in Jnr Presidents Cup singles match after “awesome” opening day appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Kent Gray
Rayhan Thomas has produced a clutch birdie on the final hole at Plainfield Country Club to secure a crucial half point for Trevor Immelman’s International team on the opening morning of the inaugural Junior Presidents Cup in New Jersey.

The Dubai star teamed with South African Garrick Higgo to fight back from three down with seven to play to halve with U.S. No.1 Noah Goodwin and fellow Texan Cole Hammer in the first fourball match out.

Here’s the nerveless birdie putt Thomas holed to ensure an unbeaten start to the biggest event of his young golfing career:

@Rayhan Thomas makes a clutch bird on 18 as Int. team come back from 2 down to earn half point in first #JrPresidentsCup fourball match. ? pic.twitter.com/SXDkdAlo2J

— Golf Digest ME (@GolfDigestME) September 25, 2017

After both teams produced four-under 68s on the picturesque 7110 yard course in Edison, NJ, Thomas faced a local TV reporter. The 17-year-old Dubai-born, Indian No.1 handled the occasion with trademark calm:

Remember the name! @theMENATour trailblazer @RayhanThomas doing the #UAE and #India proud! pic.twitter.com/suILWQmphA

— Golf Digest ME (@GolfDigestME) September 25, 2017

“Yeah it’s pretty awesome. It would have been nice had we got a point but half a point is good enough and hopefully we can do well this afternoon,” said the correspondence schooled Dubai Creek member, ranked 31st in the latest World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR).

The Mena Tour trailblazer played a pivotal role in the comeback, a birdie on the 588 yard 12th getting the International team back to two down before both he and Higgo birdied the 14th for another gain. Higgo then got the match back to all square with another birdie on 17 before Immelman’s lead-out men held their nerve down the last.

What a moment for @RayhanThomas leading @TrevorImmelman's Int team out in the 1st Jnr @PresidentsCup. Fourball v US #1 @NoahGoodwinGolf pic.twitter.com/MEb2IRwPBx

— Golf Digest ME (@GolfDigestME) September 25, 2017

The half point shapes as crucial with David Toms’ U.S. taking a 5-1 lead into Monday afternoon’s foursomes. Thomas and his International team-mates will certainly need a big afternoon and a dominant performance in Tuesday’s 12 singles matches if they are to topple the hosts.

Immelman again paired Thomas and Higgo for the foursomes against Goodwin and South Carolina’s Trent Phillips.

The post Watch Rayhan Thomas make a clutch birdie to earn historic half at Jnr Presidents Cup appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The 17-year-old Dubai-based Indian No.1 has been confirmed as the top qualifier for Trevor Immelman’s International team ahead of the inaugural Junior Presidents Cup at Plainfield Country Club in September.

It’s another coup for the Dubai Creek member who can add the achievement to a golfing C.V. that already includes the Scottish Boys’ title, an historic maiden MENA Tour title (he was the first amateur to win on the developmental circuit at his home Dubai Creek Open last September) and a memorable run to the semifinals of last month’s U.S. Junior Amateur.

The International team selection was based on the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR). Thomas has leapt to 58^th (from 66) in the latest standings while International team No.2 Karl Vilips (Australia) is ranked 166^th.

U.S. Junior Amateur champion Noah Goodwin (14^th in the WAGR) heads the United States selection which was determined by the Rolex American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) Rankings.

All but the one pick that Immelman, the 2008 Masters champion, and his U.S. counterpart and 2001 U.S. PGA champion David Toms get as captains have been determined for the September 25-26 matches in Edison, N.J.  The final member of each team will be announced in conjunction with the Presidents Cup captain’s selections on September 6. The Junior event is held on the eve of the senior Presidents Cup at nearby Liberty National (Sept. 26-Oct 1).

Here is a look at the Jnr qualifiers:

International
Rayhan Thomas, India
Karl Vilips, Australia
Fred Lee, Australia
Garrick Higgo, South Africa
Sean Maruyama, Japan
Atiruj Winaicharoenchai, Thailand
Christo Lamprecht, South Africa
Naraajie Emerald Ramadhan, Indonesia
Joshua Armstrong, Australia
Wocheng Ye, China
Luca Filippi, South Africa

United States
Noah Goodwin, Corinth, Texas
Trent Phillips, Inman, S.C.
William Mouw, Chino, Calif.
Garrett Barber, Stuart, Fla.
Cole Hammer, Houston, Texas
Prescott Butler, Old Westbury, N.Y.
Canon Claycomb, Bowling Green, Ky.
Turner Hosch, Dallas, Texas
Joe Highsmith, Lakewood, Wash.
Eugene Hong, Orlando, Fla.
Jacob Bridgeman, Inman, S.C.

Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus will serve as honourary captains for the International and U.S. Jnr teams respectively, another once-in-lifetime opportunity for the likes of Thomas.

The correspondence schooled teen will use the defence of his Dubai Creek Open (September 11-13) and the Golf Citizen Classic at the Els Club, Dubai the following week to prepare for New Jersey.

And be sure he isn’t letting his premature exit from the 115th Western Amateur dent his confidence.

RELATED CONTENT: University of Oregon sophomore goes deep to win 115th Western Amateur

Thomas dipped into the red early in both rounds of the prestigious stroke play/match play event in Illinois only to card rounds of 71-74 to miss the initial cut by five strokes.

“It was fun at the Western Amateur, I mean it’s a fantastic tournament, one of the best fields in amateur golf and great to be in that atmosphere again,” Thomas told Golf Digest Middle East, once more articulating a maturity beyond his years.

“Yeah, it was a bit of a disappointment, played solid, was three under after the first eight [to be well inside the cut line in the second round], but then fell apart on the next nine. But nevertheless, try to learn something from it, review, get better and move on.

“I’ve got to try to learn something and make sure I don’t make mistakes like this again. At the end of day it’s all about the experience and I really have enjoyed my American trip. I think it has helped my game greatly.

“The Presidents Cup in New Jersey is going to be huge so I will be coming back to the US and I look forward to competing again.”

The post Thomas tops International team standings for inaugural Junior Presidents Cup appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.