By Kent Gray
Reigning MENA Tour No.1 MG Keyser has earned an 11th-hour start in the European Tour’s new Golf in Dubai Championship after positive COVID-19 tests forced the scratching of three players overnight.

In a statement released in the early hours of Wednesday, the European Tour said it had withdrawn Frenchman Romain Langasque, England’s Tom Lewis and Czech Ondrej Lieser from the $1.2 million event which begins on the Fire course at Jumeirah Golf Estates today.

“Langasque, Lewis and Lieser have not exhibited any symptoms and were tested upon arrival to the tournament bubble in Dubai as part of the pre-tournament screening process,” the European Tour said.

“They will now remain in self-isolation managed in accordance with the Dubai Health Authority and will be supported throughout that period by the European Tour’s medical and event staff.”

Jumeirah Golf Estates-attached, Dubai-based South African Keyser – MG is short for Mathiam Gerhard – and Malaysia’s Nicholas Fung were named as replacements.

The Golf in Dubai Championship will Keyser’s fourth European Tour start and third in 2020. He earned a European Tour best €6,031 payday for a share of 66th place at the OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic in January despite a blowout final round of 82 on the Majlis. The start at Emirates Golf Club his reward for winning the MENA Tour’s 2019 Order of Merit title.

He later missed the cut at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters but owns a two-for three cuts made record after finishing T-51 at the 2019 D+D Real Czech Masters.

Keyser sprung to prominence on the MENA Tour with back-to-back wins at the Dubai Creek Open and Golf Citizen Classic in 2017. His third and most recent win on the COVID-stalled Pro-Am circuit was at the Troon Series-Dubai Open at Dubai Hills in 2019.

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