By Kent Gray
The dream of a third Open Championship appearance remains just that for Zane Scotland while the major hopes of two MENA Tour peers have also been dashed in final qualifying.

Scotland had hoped to make a return to Carnoustie for the 147th Open Championship via Tuesday’s final qualifying – 19 years after he becoming the youngest English player to qualify for the oldest major. But rounds of 70-72 at St Annes Old Links, while tidy scoring, left the 35-year-old on the outside looking in on the year’s final big. Scotland finished -2, 10 shots behind winner James Robinson and eight shots behind the two other players who qualified from the Lancashire qualifier, Marcus Armitage and Jack Green.

Elsewhere, Yas Links-attached Luke Joy finished well off the pace at Prince’s in Sandwich, Kent, scores of 79-77 seeing him finish +12 in a shared of 44th position, 16 shots behind winner Tom Lewis, the Englishman who hails from Nick Faldo’s old Welwyn City Garden G.C.

Two-time U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen punched his ticket to Carnostie for the July 19-22 Open at Prince’s but two members of Scotland’s coaching academy and MENA Tour players in waiting – Jack Yule (+1, T-10) and Louis Hirst (+11, T41) – suffered similar disappointment to Joy.

Related: Goosen qualifies for Open the hard way

Englishman Stuart Archibald, another MENA Tour regular, retired from the Notts (Hollinwell) qualifier won by countryman Ashton Turner after signing for an opening 81.

Former English amateur international Turner won with a -6 aggregate, three strokes ahead of 2014 Alfred Dunhill Links champion Oliver Wilson who was one of seven Englishmen to advance on a memorable day capped by England exorcising their penalty shootout demons in advancing to the quarterfinals of the FIFA World Cup.

England win on penalties & I’m off to @theopen ???????? What a day! Massive thanks to this legend on my bag & for everyone coming out to support me @nottsgolfclub loved every minute. The comeback continues.. pic.twitter.com/sKi2wHI9wK

— Oliver Wilson (@Oliver_Wilson) July 3, 2018

What a day, indeed. Even Scotland, a 10-time MENA Tour winner and the circuit’s first life member, paid tribute to Wilson afterwards.

Seeing/hearing this was even better than England winning a penalty shootout! Work is paying off…. no one works harder in golf than this guy. ??? https://t.co/vvqx6eIFWp

— Zane (@ZaneScotland) July 4, 2018

The post Scotland closest of MENA Tour stars in final Open qualifying but no fairytale return to Carnoustie appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Scotland was just 16 when he became the youngest English player to qualify for The Open at Carnoustie in 1999. Fast-forward 19 years and the Middle East and North Africa developmental circuit’s most decorated player is through to final qualifying for the 147th edition of the oldest major which returns to the toughest of The Open rota’s 10 venues on Thursday week.

Now 35 and battling back from another one of the injuries that have plagued his career, Scotland will tee it up at St Annes Old Links with 71 others on Wednesday chasing one of three spots in the field for Carnoustie. There are a total of 12 spots up for grabs across four (36-hole) final qualifiers and further MENA Tour interest in the performance of Yas Links-attached Luke Joy at Prince’s and Stuart Archibald at Notts (Hollinwell). The other qualifier is being staged at The Renaissance Club.

That Scotland (Woodcote Park) has tempered expectations but high hopes is entirely understandable. His career has been blighted by injury  set-backs ever since he was involved in a minor car accident in the early 2000s which led to major and on-going neck problems.

He’s played the Open twice despite the challenges, beginning with the blur that was the 128th Open at Carnoustie, won by Paul Lawrie but remembered for the playoff meltdown of the Frenchman, Jean Van de Velde.

Related: Injury will keep Paul Lawrie from Carnoustie, site of his 1999 Open win

Scotland carded rounds of 82-81 to finish T-135, no disgrace given he was a shot behind eventual 2009 winner Stewart Cink and shot better than 1963 champion Sir Bob Charles.

The Open Championship is nearly here. Was it really 19 years ago ?‍.

A post shared by Z A N E S C O T L A N D (@zanescotlandgolf) on Jun 21, 2018 at 10:38am PDT

The experience made him doubly determined when he made it back to the Open in 2010, the year Louis Oosthuizen won at St Andrews. Scotland was determined to make the weekend on the Old Course and did so, rounds of 70-74-72-70 seeing him finish T-55 in the 139th edition alongside Steve Stricker.

“The two were real contrasts really,” Scotland said of his Open experiences. “The first time, no real expectations, wasn’t spose to be there, was just a kid, my friends were there, soaked it all up, brilliant.

“Second time around I was into my professional career, had to make it happen. I probably remember more from my second one in terms of the golf because I really wanted to make the cut and play with a big player at the weekend which I did, I got to play with Steve Stricker who was super nice.”

Two players from Scotland’s increasingly successful Zane Scotland Academy – the MENA Tour-bound Louis Hirst (who progressed with a T-1 finish at regional qualifying at Burhill) and Jack Yule – are also through to final qualifying and have understandably pressed the old guy for some tips.

“My guys have asked me for my opinion, how do you approach Open qualifying, what is it like? What I’ve said is enjoy the buzz, there’s three spots from a 100 odd guys, or 80 guys or whatever it is, so it’s not an easy task, and therefore, just relax,” Scotland said.

“There’s going to be a lot of nerves, everyone is thinking about being in The Open before they’re even there so my advice to those guys is just relax, string two rounds together, do what you do.

“I think a lot of guys go in thinking they’ve got to shoot the lights out but actually, two decent rounds and you’ll be there or thereabouts, you haven’t got to go mad. If you make a couple of bogeys, don’t lose hope because you could make four of five birdies in six or seven holes and you are right in there.

“There’s a lot of panic playing. If you can just try and keep your head, and play pretty steady, it leaves you with a little chance.”

As for Scotland’s own expectations of a third Open start, well, they’re muted.

“I have quite low expectations. I’m still recovering from my injury, still trying to work out how I am going to get through four rounds if I did qualify, so they’re pretty low,” he said.

“I’ve played one event since the MENA Tour last season, a week long Pro-Am at Sawgrass where I actually went really well in, won that. When I have been playing, I have been going quite nicely which is great but at this level you’ve got to be really sharp.

The Sawgrass Classic Pro Am by @theproamtour – brilliant event, brilliant team, Golf courses were top notch, also got the joint win with my room mate Guy Woodman.

A post shared by Z A N E S C O T L A N D (@zanescotlandgolf) on May 21, 2018 at 2:40am PDT

“So I’m looking forward to having a go. I’m just going there to enjoy the buzz, there’s a real buzz at final Open qualifying, the leaderboard is being watched like a hawk by locals, club members and players, caddies, family, you know, who is shooting what which adds a tenseness to it.

“I love that tense atmosphere, the anticipation of three of us being at the Open.”

Scotland is off at 8.10am local time (11.10am UAE time) in his opening round at St Annes. Joy tees it up an hour earlier at Prince’s, 10 minutes before Hirst while Archibald has a 1.05pm (UAE time) start at Notts. Yule is paying at Prince’s from 11.25am UAE time.

The Open Championship Final Qualifying draw @ St Anne’s Old Links GC. Looking forward to the buzz. #whyilovethisgame #theopen

A post shared by Z A N E S C O T L A N D (@zanescotlandgolf) on Jun 30, 2018 at 1:32pm PDT

The post MENA Tour ace eyes return to Carnoustie via the ‘buzz’ of Open Championship final qualifying  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.

The 35-year-old took a one-shot buffer into the final round of the tour’s season-opening Palmeraie Country Club Casablanca Open Thursday after adding a blemish free 66 Wednesday to his opening 68.

Corfield, -8 through 36 holes, was one clear of compatriot Stuart Archibald who also fired a 66 Wednesday while a second round 70 had first-round leader Luke Joy two adrift entering the final round of the $40,000, 54-holer.

Morocco’s Younes El Hassani, Scot Jack McDonald and Spaniard Leo Lilja shared fourth on -5 as three shots separated the top seven, promising a thrilling finish Thursday.

“Played pretty good on the front nine and scrambled very well coming in,” was Corfield’s assessment of his second round. “It was tricky out there because of the wind, but overall I am really pleased with my day’s work and looking forward to the final round.”

Archibald, who picked up two shots on the front nine and three more coming home Wednesday, will go in search of his maiden MENA Tour win today.

“It feels nice to post a bogey-free round early in the season which shows my game is in good shape. I drove the ball well and hit some nice iron shots,” said Archibald, who was placed tied fifth after an opening 69.

“I did hit a few errant shots, but managed to get away with them with some good up-and-downs and that kept the round going and ticking over.

“The course is really good this week. It’s quite long with firm fairways. There is not too much rough out there, but it’s well bunkered. If you miss the fairways, you can get punished. The greens are nice to putt on which is great. This course is really a good addition to the Moroccan swing.”

Morocco’s El Hassani matched the day’s best score of a 66 to keep alive his chances of a breakthrough win on the tour. “I am striking the ball really well. Holed some good putts out there.

“If I can keep the momentum rolling into the final round, I think I stand good chance to get the job done,” said the experienced El Hassani, who leads the MENA Division by four shots over his fellow countrymen Faycal Serghini and Ahmed-Reda Rhazali.

Elsewhere, England’s Andrew Marshall shot back-to-back 71s to take a share of 16^th on level par while Joshua White, the 2014 MENA Tour Order of Merit champion, moved into a tie for eighth on -1 after carding a second round 72. Dutchman Pierre Junior Verlaar stayed on top in the amateur division after a second round 71, five clear of England’s Todd Clements.

The cut was made at +3 145 with 54 professionals and 10 amateurs making it to the final round. Among the notables to miss out were 10-time winner Zane Scotland (+4), Ian Poulter’s brother Danny Poulter (+6) and former England cricketer Craig Kieswetter (+7).

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