Elson had a 10,033 point lead over Joy heading into the penultimate event of the 15-tournament campaign but collected just $394 (and thus points) for a share of 34th place at the Sahara Kuwait Golf Championship, a paltry return for three days hard work.

Joy, meanwhile, banked 6000 greenbacks and as many points for his solo-second finish behind Scot Robert MacIntyre at Saraha Golf & Country Club in Kuwait City. It all means Joy is just 4427 points adrift of Elson heading to Ajman where the $100,000 purse doubles the amount of points normally available.

Victory at Al Zorah would give either Elson or Joy the money title, regardless of where the other finishes. Elson will also get the chequered flag with a top three finish providing Joy places no better than second.

Destiny is, therefore, in Elson’s hands but Joy, fresh from back-to-back runner-up finishes (he lost to Elson in a playoff for the inaugural AYLA Championship in Jordan) sniffs a chance.

“Even though I didn’t get the win [in Kuwait] it was great to be in contention again for the second consecutive week and put some more money on the OOM [order-of-merit] board going into next week’s Tour championship in Ajman,” Joy said. “I’m very happy with how the game is holding up and very much looking forward to getting stuck in next week and see if we can build on the past two weeks.”

Swede Fredrik From and Englishman Andrew Marshall are also still in the fight for the money title and the potentially career-altering opportunities including three European Tour starts, an invite to the PGA Tour’s Dean and Deluca Invitational, a Sunshine Tour card and a place in the final stage of Asian Tour Q-School.

But at 12,084 adrift points adrift, From would need to win at Al Zorah and hope Elson can place no better than 5th and Joy no better than 3rd. Marshall, 14,772 points back, would also need victory and for Joy to finish no better than 4th and Elson no better than 7th.

Here’s the permutations for the top 5 in the order-of-merit race leading into the 72-hole Tour Championship starting Monday:

1. Jamie Elson (England) – Current points: 32,847

– Will win overall title with victory at the Tour Championship
– Wins title with a top three providing Joy finishes no better than 2nd
– If Joy finishes outside the top five, Elson wins title regardless of his finishing position

[divider] [/divider]

2. Luke Joy (England) – Current points 28,420

– Will win overall title with victory at the Tour Championship
– If Joy finishes second, Elson would need to finish no better than 4th
– A third place finish for Joy would mean Elson would have to finish no better than 6th
– If Elson finishes outside top 10, Joy would still need a top three placing to be crowned MENA Tour champion.

[divider] [/divider]

3. MG Keyser (South Africa) – Current points 18,774

– Despite winning back-to-back titles, is not eligible for Tour championship as has only played three events this year. Only the leading 50 professionals and top 10 amateurs who have played at least seven events are eligible.

[divider] [/divider]

4. Fredrik From (Sweden) – Current points 22, 763

Fredrik Form

– To win title would need victory and Elson to finish no better than 6th and Joy no better than 3rd.

[divider] [/divider]

5. Andrew Marshall (England) – Current points 18, 075

– To win title would need victory and Elson to finish no better than 7th and Joy no better than 4th.

[divider] [/divider]

And here’s what’s on the line after the final calculations are done at Al Zorah:

1st
Invites to:
Dean & Deluca Invitational (PGA Tour)
Omega Dubai Desert Classic, Maybank Championship, Hassan II Trophee (European Tour)
Full 2018 card for Sunshine Tour*
Full 2018 card for Asian Development Tour
Asian Tour – Final stage of Q-School

2nd
Invites to:
Omega Dubai Desert Classic, KLM Open (European Tour)
Full 2018 card for Sunshine Tour*
Full 2018 card for Asian Development Tour
Asian Tour – Final stage of Q-School

3rd
Omega Dubai Desert Classic (European Tour)
Full 2018 card for Sunshine Tour*
Full 2018 card for Asian Development Tour
Asian Tour – Final stage of Q-School

4th and 5th
Full 2018 card for Sunshine Tour*

6th to 15th
Sunshine Tour – Final stage of Q-School

Top MENA National
Invite to:
Omega Dubai Desert Classic

Top 60
Mena Tour exemption for 2018

*Pre-qualifying required for Sunshine Tour/European Tour co-sanctioned tournaments.

The post Who needs to do what to win the MENA Tour title? appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The 21-year-old Walker Cup representative rallied from a shot back overnight with seven birdies in a closing 65 to capture the Sahara Kuwait Golf Championship on Wednesday in just his second start as a professional.

MacIntyre (65-66-65) finished -14 at Sahara Golf and Country Club to edge Luke Joy (64-67-67) by two shots and become the 13th first-time winner on the developmental Pro-Am circuit this year – an astonishing number given we are 14 events into a 15 tournament schedule and one of the first timers, South African MG Keyser, went on to win back-to-back titles at The Creek and The Els Club Dubai.

It was the Joy’s second runner-up finish in as many events and has put the Englishman squarely back in the frame for the overall Order-of-Merit title heading into next week’s MENA Tour Championship at Al Zorah G.C. in Ajman.

Related: Who needs to do what to win the MENA Tour money title?

“Absolutely delighted with my efforts, a memorable week for me, indeed,” said MacIntyre who had a win, loss and a half for Great Britian and Ireland in a 19-7 loss to the U.S. at last month’s Walker Club in Los Angeles.

“It was fun playing on the MENA Tour. The competition is great and so is the atmosphere and I look forward to playing more events next season.”

MacIntyre is flanked by Yousef Abdulaziz Al Qatami and Wael Abdulrahman Al Welayti, both members of the Sahara Kuwait’s golf advisory committee, at the prize giving.

The Oban product, the first left-hander in living memory to win the Scottish Amateur in 2015 and a runner-up in The (British) Amateur the following year, gave a hint of his obvious talent at the AYLA Golf Championship in Jordan a fortnight ago, recovering from an opening 78 in his very first round as a pro with a course-record 64 to finish third. He’s a combined 25 under par for his last five rounds.

“I played golf the way as I used to as an amateur and never let the pressure of turning pro affect my game,” said MacIntyre, the fourth Scotsman after Paul Doherty, Clarke Lutton and David Law to win a MENA Tour event. “It [Sahara GCC] is a nice golf course with narrow fairways. You needed to be accurate off the tee and I drove the ball well all week, creating some good scoring opportunities. I holed putts when I needed to and that was the key to my success.”

Delighted with my start to the new job ? huge thanks to @theMENATour for the 2 invites will never forget where it all started. #higlander pic.twitter.com/9bgZWZ0ie8

— Robertmacintyre (@robert1lefty) October 18, 2017

Meanwhile, England’s Todd Clements comfortably kept up his white-hot form to win the amateur division for the fifth time in a row on five-under 205, two shots ahead of Switzerland’s Dubai-based Michael Harradine. It’s a stunning run that has virtually assured the reigning English Amateur Champion of the amateur OOM title.

The leading 50 professionals and top 10 amateurs on the OOM earn starts in the 72-hole Tour Championship starting Monday. MacIntyre is not eligible as he falls five events short of the mandatory seven required to tee it up in Ajman.

Sahara Kuwait Golf Championship Amateur Champion – @ClementsTodd pic.twitter.com/XLcOM7uDEZ

— MENA Tour (@theMENATour) October 18, 2017

The post Robert MacIntyre vows to return to MENA Tour after dream Kuwait win appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The 27-year-old had four birdies going out and three more coming home in a flawless seven-under 63 to edge the English duo of Stuart Archibald and Luke Joy, Scot Daniel Hendry and South African Luke Trocado on the opening day of the MENA Tour’s penultimate event of 2017.

Italian Philip Geerts and Scot Robert MacIntyre moved into a two-way tie for sixth on five-under 65, one ahead of a nine-man group that included two-time MENA Tour winner Andrew Marshall and English amateur champion Todd Clements.

Order of merit leader Jamie Elson signed for a level par 71 to be T-28, two shots Swede Fredrik From who is third in the points race behind as second-placed Joy stole an early march on his rivals.

Fresh from a T-3 finish at last week’s Jordan’s AYLA Golf Championship, Sturehed rode a hot driver in Kuwait City to fall just a shot shy of the course record, jointly held by defending champion Joe Heraty and Chile’s Matias Calderon.

Related: Swede Sturehed fires course record, finds Joy atop the Ayla Golf Championship leaderboard

“I struck the ball very well off the tee and holed some good putts when I needed to and that was the key to going low today,” said Sturehed.

“The course is playing nice and there are plenty of scoring opportunities out there if you can hit the fairways in regulation.”

Archibald finished sixth in Kuwait last year after taking a two-shot lead into the final round and rekindled those found memories by also going bogey-free. “I played some lovely golf. Missed just one green which means I had 17 chances to pick up a shot,” said the 33-year-old Englishman.

“I struggled a bit to get the pace of the greens on the front nine as I had arrived just in time for my tee time, but found the touch as the round wore one. Didn’t miss any green coming home.” s

who finished in a tie for sixth last year after heading into the final round with a two-shot lead.

Perennial contender Joy produced one of the highlights of the day, hitting a 3-iron from 228 yards to within 15 feet on the 9th before duly holing the putt for an eagle-3 en-route to a tidy 64.

“I hit the ball clean throughout the day and putted solidly. The course is nice. Had some good fun out there,” said the Englishman, a two-timer winner on the MENA Tour.

Trocado also had a good day at work, reeling off six birdies, two eagles and three bogeys to put himself firmly in the mix.

England’s Todd Clements continued his purple patch of form with an opening with a 66 to lead the amateur division by a stroke from Switzerland’s Michael Harradine. Saudi Arabia’s Othman Almulla settled for a 75.

Elsewhere, defending champion Heraty slipped into a tie for 46th after carding a 72 while Morocco’s Ahmed Marjan posted a bogey-free 69 as UAE’s Ahmed Al Musharrekh, three over through 10th, recovered well to sign for a 71.

The post Swede Sturehed fires flawless 63 to lead MENA Tour’s penultimate 2017 stop in Kuwait appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.