By Kent Gray
The lowest single-round score in MENA Tour history is 61. Don’t be surprised if that is pipped at this week’s $75,000 Al Ain Open by Arena with some even predicting golf’s mythical mark of 59 could be obtained.

MG Keyser, the leader of the Journey to Jordan heading into the penultimate regular-season event of the year starting Monday, is the holder of the 18-hole record, having posted the score of 61 not once but twice.

The Dubai-based South African signed for an 11-under-par, second-round loop of Dubai Hills in March en-route to victory at Troon Series-Dubai Open after first posting 61 to set up victory in the 2017 Dubai Creek Open. That was a 10-under opening round circuit of Dubai Creek, a score amateur Rayhan Thomas matched the score in the second round of the same tournament only to lose to Keyser in a playoff.

With little wind protecting the wide, manicured fairways and receptive greens at Al Ain Equestrian Shooting and Golf Club during this week’s Pro-Am and practice rounds, a birdie fest is in the offing.

The professional course record at the 6,764-yard course is a 63 by Alex Wrigley in the Mercedes-Benz International ProAm in February 2017, while the amateur record is a 61 by Brazilian Herik Machado during the 2017 Faldo Series Grand Final.

Dubai-based 15-year-old amateur Josh Hill flirted with the course record with a 62 in last year’s Faldo Series Middle East Championship. After recording his best ever T-6 finish on the MENA Tour by Arena in the last event at Yas Links Abu Dhabi, Hill is predicting low numbers this week.

“I won’t be surprised if someone shoots a 59 this week,” the Dubai-based, England age-group rep said. “If the wind does not pick up and if you are hitting it well off the tee, this course sets you up with plenty of birdie chances and the greens roll really well.”

In the Pro-Am on Saturday, England’s Taylor Carter made 12 birdies.

“I think a 59 is out there, but it does depend on various things, especially the wind,” said Carter. “It is not the longest course we play all year and there are a lot of wedge shots out there which you can get close. If it stays calm like this, we can see some very low scores over the next three days.”

England’s James Allan, winner of the Abu Dhabi Open by Arena at Yas Links, said the golf course can play two ways.

“You can obviously go low here, but the players will have to be wary of not getting frustrated if they do not get off to a good start. If you don’t get a few birdies on the front nine, many players will start pushing harder on the back nine, and it can have a negative effect,” said the 25-year-old from Chelmsford, who will bypass next week’s Ras Al Khaimah Open to participate in the second stage of European Tour Q-School.

“[This week] is a crucial week for me as far as winning the Journey to Jordan on the MENA Tour is concerned,” Allan said. “I have only this week and then the Arena Championship [at Ayla Golf Club in Jordan] to catch up with the leaders. But it is not what I am going to focus on – I am just hoping to continue playing good golf and hopefully, the results will take care of everything.”

The MENA Tour by Arena continues to provide Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points, thus making it a perfect pathway for ambitious young professional to the bigger tours, and for the players from the region to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

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Two-back overnight, Sturehed rattled off eight birdies and a chip-in eagle to move to -13 at the season-decider in Ajman and open up a healthy five stroke lead over Englishman Andrew Marshall (66).

The season-long title race is suddenly a lot more spicy after Joy signed for a 69 to move from a share of 9th overnight into a share of 5th with Slovenia’s Tim Gornik and Swede Fredrik From, the latter an outside chance at the order-of-merit (OOM) title.

Joy is now just two shots behind Jamie Elson after the overnight leader and OOM pole-sitter carded a one-under 71 to fall into a share of third at -7 with Canadian Lindsay Renolds.

Related: Who needs to do what to win the MENA Tour

With 36-holes remaining, the equation is simple for Joy. If he goes on to win, the MENA Tour title, three European Tour starts, an invite to the PGA Tour’s Dean & Deluca Invitational, a Sunshine Tour card and a place in final qualifying for the Asian Tour is his. If Joy finishes second or third, Elson would need to finish no better than 4th or 6th respectively while Joy would still need a top three finish if Elson slips outside the top 10.

Sturehed backed up his opening 68 with a nine-under second round that included a chip-in eagle three on the 4th after his six-iron from 218 yards finished just off the green, a solitary bogey at the 8th before three successive birdies to finish.

“Conditions were a bit tougher today because of cross winds, but I had a good, solid day,” said the 27-year-old Swede.

“You never know tomorrow holds as there are many good players in the field and anything can happen. I need to stick to my game plan and keep the feel-good vibes going.”

Defending champion Tyler Hogarty, (South Africa) tied for second overnight, fell into a tie for 17th after returning a 77 while England’s Jake Shepherd kept himself in the frame for a strong finish, taking a share of 8th after posting a 69.

The English duo of Zane Scotland and Lee Corfield, who between them share 14 MENA Tour titles, are T-22 on +1 while Craig Hinton, the winner of the 2016 Order of Merit title, occupied tT-40 on +6, 150.

Taylor Carter returned a 69 to join fellow Englishman Sam Hobday at the top of the amateur division on -2 as overnight joint leader Todd Clements slipped to +1 after a 76.

Click here for full MENA Tour Championship scores

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Buamaim’s long-term dream for the tour is, of course, to unearth young, Olympic Games-quality Arab stars, but he couldn’t grumble at the quality of Barker’s golf Monday, a sizzling 66 helping the 19-year-old South African open up a two shot lead at the Golf Citizen Abu Dhabi Open.

MJB will also be heartened by the hot streak Todd Clements is currently riding after the English amateur eased into second place with a 68. Eight players share third after 69s, the tour’s most decorated player in Zane Scotland and the producer of Monday’s shot of the day, South African Wayne Stroebel, among them. Stroebel holed a wedge on the 141-yard par 3 13th for his first career ace.

But the day belonged to Barker who opened his round with three successive birdies, was five under through seven and added further gains on the 13th and 16th to cancel out a lone bogey on the 10th.

“Everything flowed quite smoothly out there. I struck the ball beautifully, putted nicely and my approaches were relatively close, creating plenty of birdie opportunities,” said Barker, a professional barely a year who is playing Yas Links on a special MENA Tour invitation.

“I had a lot of fun playing on this course, which is in great condition and look forward to having some more good times in the next two rounds.”

Jamie Elson, meanwhile, made the early move in the all-important pro order of merit race. The Englishman signed for a two under 70, three shots better than Swede Fredrik From, the only man above him in the points standings save for South African MG Keyser who has abandoned his OOM hopes to chase a Asian Tour card in Malaysia.

Yas Links-attached Luke Joy has ground to make up after an opening 74 while English compatriot Andrew Marshall remains in the OOM conversation after a 71.

Playing in his second MENA Tour event in three weeks this season, former Open champion Darren Clarke carded a solid 70.

After finishing tied second with Rayhan Thomas at The Dubai Creek Open and 17th at last week’s Golf Citizen Classic at The Els, Clements needs another strong week to zero in on the top 50 of the World Amateur Golf Rankings. The 21-year-old Essex lad, currently ranked 64th, has started his mission strongly by mixing five birdies with a solitary bogey on the 15th.

“I started off well, making four birdies in the first seven holes and that set pretty much the tone for the round,” Clements said. “I played good, solid golf and made no major mistakes which was the key.”

Clements leads the amateur battle by two shots from Kenyan Agil Is-hag (70). Englishman Taylor Carter (71) is third while and Saudi Arabia’s Othman Almulla, England’s Robert Horridge and the UAE’s Khalid Yousuf shared fourth after even par 72s.

Ahmed Skaik was the next best of the UAE national team players with a 75 but the remainder of local contingent now have a very clear line in the sand with regards the level required to compete on the MENA Tour.

Ahmed Al Musharrekh, playing in the company of former Ryder Cup captain Clarke, left himself a mountain to climb after dropping six shots in his last five holes en-route to a six-over 78 while Abdalla Al Musharrekh carded an 84 (+12) and Sohail Al Marzooqi a 19-over 91.

For full scoreboard, click here

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