Ryan Lumsden’s win on the MENA Tour came in just his third start at the Journey to Jordan No. 2 at Greg Norman’s Ayla Golf Club

SCOTLAND’S Ryan Lumsden showed just why he is considered one of the finest emerging talents in the game as he overcame a last-hole hiccup to earn his first professional win.

He claimed first prize of $13,500 after winning the Journey to Jordan No. 2 in just his third start on the MENA Tour.

Lumsden first win in an Official World Golf Ranking event was by one shot over Essex’s equally-promising Curtis Knipes.

London-based Lumsden made a double-bogey six on the tough 18^th hole at the Greg Norman-designed Ayla Golf Club, on Wednesday.

But the Royal Wimbledon GC man, who went to Wellington College, near Reading, before heading to the States for four years on a golf scholarship in Chicago, had done enough to post a two-under par final round of 70.

That took his tally to eight-under for the tournament – one better than Knipes, who closed with a 68 to post seven-under.

“Don’t ask me about the 18th, but I am delighted to get the win,” said Lumsden, who had a two-shot lead to sleep on before third round.

“I felt really good about my game the whole day. Got off to a good start and was four-under through six holes.

I then made great putts that barely missed on the next two holes. On the ninth, I hit a wonderful drive and had just about 200 yards.

“But it was at the bottom of a divot and I could not risk the water on the left so had to lay up and the birdie putt lipped out.

“Went through a little bit of a rough patch on the back nine, but I was able to make some good swings after that.

“I will think back about the 18^th hole and process what I did wrong there – but very happy to get the job done and hopefully, we can carry it on from here.

“There wasn’t one defining or key moment today. The par save on the 15^th was great, but so was the up-and-down for birdie on the 17th. I just played solid golf throughout.”

The Northwestern University star, who will start in the AT&T Byron Nelson Classic, on the PGA Tour, in May – after winning the Byron Nelson Award while a US collegiate golfer in 2019 – was fast out of the blocks.

The Chicago university graduate made birdies on the first, fourth, fifth and sixth holes. He then missed birdie chances on the seventh, eight and ninth holes to make the turn at four-under.

That was three shots clear of Somerset’s Walker Cup player Tom Sloman who had been two behind going into the last round.

Lumsden’s first bogey of the day came from the greenside bunker on the par-three 12^th hole.

And he was lucky not to get wet on the short 13^th when he hooked his tee shot way off the mark.

Lumsden made a crucial par save from 20 feet on the 15th before a clutch birdie from the bunker on the penultimate hole gave him the necessary cushion to go down the 18th – with Knipes already in the clubhouse on seven-under.

Ryan Lumsden found the fairway bunker on the last – took three shots to get to the green – and three-putted for a six and the victory.

•To see the final results at Ayla Golf Club, click here.

Ryan Lumsden (right) celebrates his victory in the Journey to Jordan No. 2

Knipes knows his time will come

NINETEEN-year-old Knipes, who turned professional at the start of the year like Ryan Lumsden, recorded his best-ever finish on the MENA Tour.

His 68 included just one bogey, which came on the fifth when he chunked a wedge shot from the middle of the fairway.

But that was the only mistake made by the Chelmsford GC member who was MENA’S leading amateur on the Journey to Jordan Order of Merit in 2019.

“I played pretty well today,” said Knipes, who was the English Champion of Champions in 2018 – a title won by Tommy Fleetwood, Lee Westwood and Sandy Lyle in the past.

Knipes, who qualifed to play in last year’s Open at Royal Portrush, added: “The conditions were very fair and I did have a number in mind for the final round.

“I wanted to get to 10-under par – so a 65. That was not to be, but I am very happy with the runner-up finish,” said Knipes, a two-time Essex Amateur Champion.

“Very happy with the way I have started as a professional. I had four top-10s in five starts and even though I felt I let go a couple of chances to win, I know my time will come. I just have to be patient.”

There was a five-way tie for the third place with Sweden’s Ake Nilsson (69) reaching six-under alongside Hertfordshire’s Jamie Rutherford (65), Gloucestershire’s Mitch Waite (68), Sloman (70) and Essex’s Benjamin David (70).

Chelmsford Golf Club’s Curtis Knipes was second – his best-ever MENA Tour finish

Langley earns Trophee Hassan II start

REWARD: David Langley

CASTLE Royle’s David Langley secured a start at the European Tour’s Trophee Hassan II by topping the Journey to Jordan money list at the halfway stage.

The winner of the first event of the season at the same Ayla Golf Club, shot a 70 in the final round to finish tied 35th on his return to Aqaba.

Yorkshire’s David Hague, the only other player who could have overtaken Langley in Jordan this week, was tied 30th.

The winner of last week’s Bahrain Open, from Malton & Norton Golf Club, could not surmount the difference in earnings between the two rookie winners.

However, the star of the day was the 23-year-old Lumsden, who is expected to move to inside the top-1000 on the Official World Golf Rankings with his triumph.

•To see the Journey to Jordan Order of Merit, click here.

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Mitch Waite has headed to the MENA Tour after three promising appearances on the European Challenge Tour and leads the Journey to Jordan No. 2 at Ayla Golf Club

GLOUCESTERSHIRE’S Mitch Waite has been trending in the right direction in recent weeks on the MENA Tour.

And the former England international provided more evidence of where his game is headed by taking sole possession on top of the leaderboard on a windy opening day at the $75,000 Journey to Jordan No. 2, on Monday.

The 24-year-old from Bristol made a three-putt bogey on his final hole – but five birdies before that ensured an opening card of 68 to lead on four-under par at Ayla Golf Club.

The 2018 Hampshire Hog winner holds a one-shot lead over playing partner Benjamin David and Curtis Knipes – both from Essex – and Surrey-based Scot Ryan Lumsden, from Royal Wimbledon.

Waite said: “I have not played too well around here, so I had a slightly different mindset this week to go and shoot the best that I possibly can.

“I am lucky I played with good guys – David and Sloman – and they played well as well,” added Waite, who finished tied 37^th in the Journey to Jordan No. 2 last year.

“I had a decent start today, went a bit quite in the middle and kept playing well on the back nine.

“I hit two good shots into the 18th but ended up with a bogey,” said last year’s EuroPro Tour member Waite, who secured his MENA Tour card by finishing 10th at January’s Qualifying School B, in Jordan.

Mitch Waite, winner of the 2018 Hampshire Salver and Hampshire Hog, at North Hants GC.
Picture by ANDREW GRIFFIN / AMG PICTURES

“It’s just one of those things, and I have got to take the positives from this. I was five-under par through 17 and shot a 68 which was a good round.”

The Felton Golf Club member started working with coach Liam James, based at The Belfry while his friend Will Donald is his mental coach.

“I have come out this year with a better mental frame and probably better technically,” said Mitch, who was largely unknown before his win at North Hants – the home club of Justin Rose – just two years ago.

“I did not have any status and just played on invites in 2019. But it was a slow year and I did not get going,” said Waite, who rocketed up the England rankings two years ago.

He was picked for Great Britain & Ireland against Europe, in the St Andrews Trophy, in Finland, and featured on the winning England team at the Home Internationals at Conwy GC.

That lead to his selection alongside Hoylake’s Matthew Jordan, who is on the European Tour in 2020 after his maiden win on the Challenge Tour last year, and Staffordshire’s Gian-Marco Petrozzi for the Eisenhower Trophy where he played alongside the likes of PGA Tour winner Viktor Hovland and Denmark twins Rasmus and Nicholai Hjøgaard.

Waite revealed: “I have worked on all departments of the game and very much looking forward to what 2020 has in store.”

Waite, who turned pro late in 2018 after finishing runner-up at the European Amateur, and was a semi-finalist at The Amateur Championship, has had a good start to the year.

He played the three Sunshine Tour events in South Africa that were co-sanctioned by the Challenge Tour on invites.

The South West pro made all three cuts and was tied seventh in Cape Town.

Mitch, who first found his liking to South Africa on a winter warm weather trip with former Gloucestershire team-mate Joe Long in 2017, now sits 13^th in the Challenge Tour Race to Mallorca Rankings.

He is three spots behind fellow MENA player Harry Ellis, from Hampshire, who was fourth in Cape Town.

“It would be nice to get a playing status on Challenge Tour,” said Waite. “Obviously, I want to win and getting it on the MENA Tour would be great.

“But these are things you cannot rush. I look at Hague, Langley and Bailey Gill and they have all gone and won events in their first few weeks as a pro.

“And here I am, have been a pro for more than a year and still haven’t got my first win.

“I can get down upon myself, or I can keep doing the right things and stay patient knowing that my week will come.”

Surrey-based Scot Ryan Lumsden is a shot behind Mitch Waite in the Journey to Jordan No. 2

English quartet in chasing pack

THERE are plenty of former England internationals in the chasing pack at Ayla Golf Club.

Somerset’s Walker Cup player Tom Sloman, the third player in Waite’s group, shot 70 to be tied fifth alongside Sweden’s Ake Nilsson on two-under.

Middlesex’s Pavan Sagoo, Hertfordshire’s Jamie Rutherford, Dorset’s Luke Joy and Filip Lundell, winner of MENA’s Qualifying School B at Ayla, were tied seventh at one-under after carding 71s.

In the race between David Langley and David Hague to secure the Trophee Hassan II start on the European Tour, Yorkshireman Hague was slightly ahead of his rival – even though both players had a start to forget.

Hague, from Malton & Norton GC, opened with a 75 and Berkshire’s Langley, from Castle Royle GC, shot 77.

India’s Arjun Gupta was the best-placed amateur in the field, tied 20th after a 74.

•To follow live scoring in the second round of Journey to Jordan No. 2, click here.

The post Patient Mitch happy to Waite for first professional win after good start in Jordan appeared first on Golf North.

David Langley is currently top of the Journey to Jordan Order of Merit on the MENA Tour and can earn a start on the Euoropean Tour at the Trophee Hassan II, in June, this week.

IT promises to be a fascinating battle between David Langley and David Hague in this week’s $75,000 Journey to Jordan No. 2, with a European Tour start up for grabs.

The English duo are chasing the big reward of a spot in the European Tour’s Trophee Hassan II.

The Order of Merit leader at the end of the first five events on the 2020 MENA Tour receives an invitation to the €2.5million Trophee Hassan II, in Morocco from June 4-7.

The lucky player will also receive free accommodation in the official hotel for that week.

After the fourth leg of the season, Journey to Jordan No. 1 winner Langley currently leads the Order of Merit with $24.909 – a lead of $784 over Hague winner of the Royal Golf Club Bahrain Open, who has earned $24,125 so far this season.

The equation is simple. With $400 assured for the last-placed player in the tournament, Hague will have to finish inside a two-way tie for the 12^th place to have any chance of overtaking Langley.

Having won at the Greg Norman-designed Ayla Golf Club last month, Langley, from Berkshire’s Castle Royle GC, probably starts as a pre-tournament favourite.

Yorkshireman Hague missed the cut at Ayla in his first start as a professional golfer, having opened with a disappointing 81.

However, current form would give the Malton & Norton GC member an advantage heading into Journey to Jordan No. 2, which starts today (Monday).

Last year’s Lee Westwood Trophy winner finished first in Bahrain with three solid rounds in windy conditions, last week.

Meanwhile his 25-year-old rival from Marlow, in Buckinghamshire, endured a tough final round in the same tournament and recorded a 79.

Langley, who lost his father to a long-term illness late in 2019, said: “Absolutely. The spot in Morocco is on my mind and if someone else in my situation says they are not thinking about it, they’d probably be lying.

“But it is not something that is going to control my shots during the tournament. It is something you think outside of it. I will be focused on each shot that I hit when I play the tournament.

“I have very happy memories of this golf course, and obviously, having played it quite a few times, I am very familiar with it.

“I drove the ball very well and made almost every putt from inside 10 feet when I won the Journey to Jordan No. 1, and I will have to do pretty much the same again this week,” said the former England amatuer international.

David Hague (left) with Chris Garrity, general manager of the host club and Saud Al Sharif, the low amateur in the MENA Tour’s Royal Golf Club Bahrain Open

Hague, who turned pro after MENA Tour Qualifying School at the same venue, said he did not touch his clubs after playing the pro-am in Bahrain a day after his victory.

“I got into Aqaba only last night after facing a few travel issues and Sunday was the first day I actually practiced.

“It’s been a crazy couple of days with so many messages from friends and people I know. I am so looking forward to going back home next week, but I have a job to do before that,” said Hague, who was a team-mate of Hague at the 2018 Home Internationals.

“I won’t say Morocco is my top priority right now. I am pretty good at taking every competition as it comes.

“It’s just a consequence of playing well and that’s what I’d be focused on this week.

“I did not have a great start to my professional career here, but I am looking forward to competing on this course,” added Hague, who was a junior at the same North Yorkshire club as European Tour winner Simon Dyson.

“I think I was too aggressive here the last time and threw away a few shots through careless mistakes. That’s something I want to avoid.

Langley and Hague have been paired together for the first two rounds and start their campaigns on Monday at 9.20am local time.

•To follow live scoring in the Journey to Jordan No. 2 click here.

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Yorkshire’s former England amateur international David Hague leads the Royal Golf Club Bahrain Open, with one round to play – local member Saud Alf Sharif is in the chasing pack

IT was a proud moment for Saudi Arabian golf and host venue Royal Golf Club when amateur Saud Al Sharif mastered tough playing conditions to shoot the lowest round of the day on the MENA Tour’s fourth event of the 2020 season.

Al Sharif surged into a tie for second place, just one behind leader David Hague, after the second round of the $75,000 Royal Golf Club Bahrain Open.

The 19-year-old member of the Saudi National Team learned his golf at the Royal Golf Club in Bahrain where he has been based for the past 10 years.

He used his immense local knowledge to the fullest – on a day when strong and swirling wind posed tough questions – to shoot a six-under par 66.

It moved him to tied second place at seven-under, tied with France’s Antoine Schwartz, who carded a 70.

“It is such an amazing day. I had an unbelievable round, my lowest ever on the MENA Tour,” said Al Sharif, who had sensationally made the cut last week in Oman, after holing out his second shot on the par-four 17^th hole for an eagle and a birdie on the last.

“My putter was on fire. I made putts from Saudi Arabia to Bahrain,” Al Sharif added.

“Come to think of it, my short game was something that was holding me back. I have been working really hard on my putting and chipping with Jamie McConnell, at the Claude Harmon Performance Institute, in Dubai, and it is showing results.

“Of course, I know this golf course better than everyone else. But playing at home also brings a lot of pressure and hopefully, I can handle it tomorrow as well as I did today.”

Saud Al Sharif is a member at this week’s host club for the fourth MENA Tour event of 2020

Dropped shots cut Hague’s cushion

YORKSHIRE rookie Hague, who started from the 10th, stumbled on his way home with three bogeys and a double on the front nine.

Hague, who turned pro after MENA Tour by Arena Qualifying School and recently finished runner-up at the NEWGIZA Open in Cairo, was five-under par through his front nine.

The consistent Hague drove his opening hole – the reachable par-four 10^th – and started in the best possible way with an eagle.

He made the turn at five-under before two, three-putts and a poor tee shot on the par-three seventh led to leaked shots.

A birdie on his last – the ninth – helped him close with a 70 and gave him a one-shot cushion going into the final round.

“I was playing really well and was 12-under par at one stage,” said the Malton & Norton GC member.

“It’s disappointing to finish at two-under, but I am happy that I managed to reach eight-under par.

“The conditions were quite difficult out there with the wind,” added Hague, who won the Lee Weestwood Trophy at Rotherham GC, in his final year as an amateur.

Schwartz, who is looking for his first win on the MENA Tour, was rewarded for his patience with two birdies in his last two holes – the eighth and ninth – both playing very difficult in the wind.

“It was a tough day and I just tried to remain patient,” said Schwartz, a European Challenge Tour member.

“It was a good finish with the two birdies and I am looking forward to tomorrow,” he added.

“Getting into contention is the main thing in golf and if I am within one or two shots of the leader tomorrow going into the back nine, I will be happy and give it my best shot,” said Schwartz, who is looking to emulate his friend Sebastien Gros, the winner in Cairo two weeks ago.

First round leader Joel Girrbach (72), from Switzerland, fell to tied fourth place at six-under the promising Scot Ryan Lumsden (67) and resurgent Frenchman Victor Riu (67).

Journey to Jordan leader David Langley, from Berkshire, made successive eagles on the ninth and 10^th holes after making a double bogey on the second hole.

The Castle Royle GC pro is in a group at five-under.

•To see live scoring in Wednesday’s final round click here.

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Wentworth’s Harry Ellis has been playing on South Africa’s Sunshine Tour and hopes to repeat the MENA Tour form that brought him 10 successive rounds in the 60s in 2019

A CONFIDENT Harry Ellis returns to the MENA Tour seeking his first career win as a professional at the Royal Golf Club Bahrain Open, which starts Monday.

The 24-year-old, from Southampton, played five events in the 2019 season and was inside the top-12 in all of them.

Those consistent displays over the past few months included back-to-back second place finishes in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.

The former Amateur Champion missed the first three tournaments of 2020 because he was playing on the European Challenge Tour events in South Africa, where he finished tied fourth in the RAM Cape Town Open.

“It’s pretty amazing what happens when you have a bit of confidence in the system,” said Ellis – the youngest-ever winner of the Amateur and English Amateur, three years ago after he won the latter in 2017 at Royal St George’s, aged just 21.

“I feel a lot calmer and I feel in pretty sound place mentally. I am able to hit the shots I want to on the golf course,” revealed Ellis, a member at Wentworth.

“My team and I have put in a lot of hard work and we know it will take some time, but we have built a solid foundation.

“I am in a good golf-playing mode, which is nice not having to work on too many things. It’s a case of putting the rounds together and the results will come hopefully.”

Ellis played the Royal Golf Club Bahrain Open last year and was tied seventh. Interestingly, his 73 in the second round was the last time he was over-par on the MENA Tour – his last 10 rounds have all been in the 60s.

“It would be lovely to keep the streak going, but it is not something I am thinking too much about,” said the former Meon Valley G&CC junior.

“Obviously, it is always healthy for your position on the leaderboard, or your psyche, if you keep shooting in the 60s,” said Ellis, who is coached by Kristian Baker, who took Ross Fisher to the European Tour and his first victory, and has recently fronted the takeover of Sunningdale Heath, the old Sunningdale Ladies Club.

Ellis added: “This week, the course is set up so well that it is possible, but I am just trying to go out and be the best that I can be.

“We will see what happens, but I’d definitely like to be in contention.”

Ellis will have plenty of competition, with Berkshire’s current Journey to Jordan leader David Langley in great form after winning in Jordan and finishing second last week in Ghala.

The Hampshire man shot the lights out to help Hampshire beat Langley’s B.B.&O. team to reach the English County Finals in 2016, when David’s county hosted the South East Qualifer at Reading’s Calcot Park.

Ellis won the Peter Benka Trophy for the lowest 36-hole score – a feat matched by Langley two years later when B.B.&O. reached the English finals by winning at Orsett, in Essex.

Knebworth’s Jamie Rutherford spent two weeks working with his coach back home after finishing runner-up to David Langley in the Journey to Jordan No. 1

Runner-up Rutherford ready to go

FORMER European Tour player Jamie Rutherford is also returning to the MENA Tour this week.

The former Engladnd amateur international took a two-week break after his scorching finish at Ayla Golf Club, where he finished runner-up to Langley.

“I went back home for a couple of weeks, did some work with my coach and practiced as much as I could because the weather is so bad in England right now,” said Rutherford, who turned pro in 2013.

“It is great to come back to Royal Golf Club where I was fourth last year. I just love the challenge of this golf course.

“It is fairly generous off the tee, but you have got to really precise with your irons with how slopy the greens are and all the sections they can put the flag in.

“You’ve got to be in control of your distance and where you put your ball on the green. That, I feel, is a strength of mine.”

Rutherford – who like Ellis was also a promising footballer – fractured his spine in a car accident in 2016, but recovered well enough to earn his European Tour card at that year’s Qualifying School, in Spain.

After losing his card having played 16 events, along with 13 more on the Challenge Tour, Rutherford spent 2018 on the satellite tour and returning to the EuroPro Tour in 2019, four years after his first pro win.

Lindrick’s Bailey Gill, the champion last week at the Ghala Open in Muscat, and South Africa’s MG Keyser, the reigning Journey to Jordan champion, will miss the tournament but for very good reasons.

Gill got into this week’s Oman Open on the European Tour, courtesy of his win at Ghala, while Keyser qualified for next week’s Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, also on the European Tour, by winning the qualifiers in Doha.

Reigning champion Robin Roussell has also graduated to the European Tour and will also miss the event.

•For first round scores in the Royal Golf Club Bahrain Open click here.

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Bailey Gill receives his trophy from Ziyad Al Zubair, after winning the MENA Tour’s Ghala Open with two Houdini-like efforts to get up and down for birdie on the last two holes

LINDRICK’S Bailey Gill made two stunning birdies from almost impossible positions in his last two holes to claim his maiden pro victory and deny Berkshire’s David Langley a second MENA Tour victory in 2020 at the Ghala Open, in Oman.

The former England amateur international beat roommate and Journey to Jordan No. 1 champion David Langley by one shot, in the Omani capital Muscat.

Gill, who hails from Worksop, in Nottinghamshire, like Lee Westwood – but who is a member at Lindrick Golf Club, just over the Yorkshire border – was one behind leader Scot Craig Ross on the 16th tee.

Gill finished with three birdies in a row, including spectacular chips on the 17th and 18th holes to within a couple of feet for a 16-under par finish.

Gill, who was also a member of England’s Raymond Trophy winning team in Lahinch, in September, was one shot behind the leader going into last week’s final round of the inaugural NewGiza Open, in Cairo, but finished tied 12^th.

But Gill was not to be denied this week as he compiled a bogey-free round, that included five birdies in the last six holes.

The highlights were the ones on the 17th and 18th.

On the penultimate hole of the course, the left-hander pushed his drive and was faced with a difficult chip shot over the bunker with very little space to stop the ball.

On the 18th, he hit his tee shot left again and could barely see the flag from the desert area.

Left-hander Bailey Gill, from Lindrick, produced five birdies in his last six holes to deny David Langley – the winner of Journey to Jordan No. 1 – a spot in next week’s Oman Open

On both occasions, the 2016 Welsh Open Youths Strokeplay Champion hit his chips stone dead.

“This is fantastic,” said Gill. “I have been waiting for some time now for this to happen.

“It did not happen in Cairo, but I am glad I could hang on and win here in Oman,” said Gill.

“Those two were tough shots on the last two holes. I hit a horrible tee shot on the 18th hole and there was a lot of pressure when David holed his putt for a birdie on the last.

“David really played great despite the poor start he had, especially on that back nine.

“I was disappointed last week, but I came here knowing I was playing solid.

“I have been playing good golf for some time now, just struggling to get everything together and I am glad I managed to do that.”

Langley bounce back after bad start

LANGLEY, who was looking for his second win of the season, was two-over par at the turn for the day.

But the Castle Royle ace, who was a member of the same Home Internationals team as Gill at Conwy GC, in 2018, went about his back nine in seven-under to finish second on 15-under.

The overnight leader started with a double bogey, but caught fire on the back nine, where he made a 20-footer eagle putt from the fringe on the 10th after nearly driving the green.

“I am gutted, but after that finish, if I had to lose to someone, I’d rather it be Bailey,” said the 25-year-old, also playing his first full season as a professional.

“I was rooming with him last week in Cairo and I know how upset he was after the finish there – credit to him for getting it done.

“I hit a perfect tee shot on the first and made a poor swing with my second. Obviously, the adrenaline was pumping a bit.

“That double affected me on the fourth hole, which is a par-five and I could not make a birdie there.

“Being two-over after four on an easier stretch was not ideal, but I stayed patient and went on a roll on the back nine.

“A win here would have possibly got me two European Tour starts so there was that pressure.

“Good to see Bailey getting the Oman spot and I am in a nice position to get into Morocco after this.”

Kirkhill’s Craig Ross finished third

Bailey Gill gets into the Oman Open at nearby Al Mouj next week as the Ghala Open while the leader at the halfway stage in the Journey to Jordan Order of Merit earns a spot in the Hassan Trophee II, in Morocco, in early June.

Ross, looking for his first win on the MENA Tour, made a superb par save on the 17^th.

But the EuroPro Tour winner paid the price for a wayward tee shot on the 18th to make a double bogey that dropped him down to 12-under and back into third place.

Ross collected a cheque for $6000 and moved up to sixth on the Journey to Jordan Order of Merit, after the first three events of the season.

Sam Locke – the 2017 Scottish Amateur Champion – was also in the hunt after reaching the turn in four-under. But his challenge faded as he came home in 39, making bogeys at the 12th, 14th and 16th.

•For final scores at the Ghala Open, click here.

Indian Arjun Gupta, who is based in Dubai, produced his best-ever MENA Tour finish

Gupta records best-ever MENA Tour finish

INDIA’S Dubai-based amateur Arjun Gupta recorded his best finish on the MENA Tour courtesy of a bogey-free closing round of 66.

He finished in fourth on 11-under, one ahead of Northamptonshire County’s Ben Jones – the runner-up in last year’s Amateur Championship, who closed with a 66 as well.

Jones was tied fifth alongside Kent’s Alfie Plant (71), Middlesex’s Pavan Sagoo (71) and Essex’s Curtis Knipes (68) along with Ireland’s Walker Cup player Paul McBride (66).

Gupta, who turns 16 in May, showed once again why he is considered one of the brightest prospects in the region as he notched his first top-five on the MENA Tour and came to within one shot of earning his first-ever Official World Golf Ranking points.

“I am happy with my finish. The whole week my short game and my putting was very good,” said Gupta.

“I could have probably driven the ball a bit better, but I can’t complain after such a finish,” added the Dubai-born pro, who is coached by Jamie McConnell at the Claude Harmon Performance Institute.

“I want to win the Amateur Journey to Jordan this year and this is a good step in that direction.

“I also want to win a tournament on the MENA Tour and this gives me confidence that I am close,” said Gupta.

•The MENA Tour moves to Bahrain for the fourth leg of the 2020 season at the Royal Golf Club Bahrain Open from February 24-26.

The post Bailey Gill claims his maiden MENA Tour win in Oman to earn European Tour start appeared first on Golf North.

Castle Royle’s David Langley leads the Ghala Open, in Oman, after a seven-under par 65 in the second round in Muscat. But there are five players just a shot behind with a round to go

WITH a spectacular slam-dunk eagle the highlight in his card of seven-under par 65, Castle Royle’s David Langley moved into contention for a possible second title in three weeks on the MENA Tour, in Oman.

The 25-year-old from Marlow, playing in his first full season as a professional, won the Tour’s season-opening Journey to Jordan No. 1 by four shots two weeks ago.

And the former England international will go into the final round of the $75,000 Ghala Open leading by one shot at 10-under par.

Langley, who was named in the provisional Walker Cup squad for the clash with the USA at Hoylake, did a fantastic job of front-running at Ayla Golf Club.

Langley started from the 10th and after a par on his first hole, he holed out his second shot from 84 yards on the par-four 11th – the ball disappearing after pitching right in the hole.

The only bogey of his round came soon after on the 14th hole, but after hitting 16 greens in regulation, he was never in any major trouble after that and also picked up shots on all four par-fives.

“It was a pretty good day,” said Langley, whose maiden win came within weeks of losing his father.

“When you start with an eagle like that, it’s always good,” added Langley.

“I flew it straight into the hole and I feel sorry because I damaged the cup a bit.

“Made a silly error on the 14^th, and missed a short birdie putt on the 17^th, but apart from that, it was solid golf,” said Langley, who moved up to No. 1187 in the world rankings after his win in Jordan.

“I feel confident. I am swinging it really well. I think I have gained strokes in driving every day this season on the MENA Tour and yesterday was probably the only round when I did not gain strokes in putting.

“I played so well in the final round in Egypt, but I guess I was trying too hard over there and shot just two-under when I had a very low one in me that day.

“A tied eighth finish is pretty good, but I learned a lot from that round, and from Jordan. So, hopefully, we can get the job done tomorrow.”

But with five players just one shot behind, including the 2017 Open Championship Silver medalist Alfie Plant (68), it will make for an exciting afternoon at Ghala Golf Club on Wednesday.

Kent’s Alfie Plant who was just one shot behind David Langley in the Ghala Open

Also at nine-under par were the English trio of Pavan Sagoo (67), from Middlesex, Wentworth’s Jake Ayres (68) and Lindrick’s Bailey Gill (67) plus Scotland’s Craig Ross (67), from Kirkhill Golf Club, a winner on the EuroPro Tour two years ago.

The resurgent Sagoo, from Ealing, was unfortunate to make a double bogey with a wayward tee shot coming in on the par-four seventh hole.

Another recent champion, Sebastien Gros was also lurking dangerously after a second straight 68 which left the Frenchman alone on eighth place at eight-under par.

Meanwhile overnight leader and fellow Frenchman Antoine Schwartz (71) was three behind as he attempts to win back-to-back.

Former Scottish Amateur Champion Sam Locke (70), the Silver Medallist as the low amateur at the 2018 Open, and Yorkshire’s in-form David Hague (68) were also three behind the leader at seven-under.

India’s Arjun Gupta was the leading amateur after the second round, courtesy a splendid 67 that took him up to tied 16th place, two ahead of Russian Ivan Striganov (74).

There was also a proud moment for Saudi golf as all three players in the field – professional Othman Almulla and amateurs Saud Al Sharif and Ali Alsakha – made the cut, which fell at two-over par.

The Ghala Open champion gets an added bonus in the form of a spot in next week’s $1.75 million Oman Open on the European Tour.

•For live scoring in the Ghala Open, in Oman, click here.

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ENGLISH international Amelia Williamson produced the low round of the last day to come from behind and win the women’s event at France’s Chiberta Grand Prix.

It also proved to be a good event for the Norfolk ace}s England team-mate Georgina Blackman, who finished tied for second place in a strong international field.

Nineteen-year-old Williamson, from Royal Cromer Golf Club, who has just completed her first year at Florida State University, started the final round six shots adrift of Laura Van Respaille after opening rounds of 71, 72 and 69.

But the Seminoles star based in Tallahassee, carded six birdies in a closing five-under par 65, which saw her leapfrog the Frenchwoman and claim a three-shot victory after carding a three-under total of 277.

Essex’s 2018 English Women’s Amateur Champion Georgina Blackman, from Chelmsford GC, opened up the event with rounds of 67, 70 and 72 to sit three shots behind Van Respaille.

Blackman then carded a closing 71 to finish tied second with the French player on level par.

Van Respaille started her final round brightly with three birdies in her opening five holes, but then carded six bogeys and a double bogey on her way to shooting a 74.

There were also some fine English performances in the men’s event with Lindrick’s Bailey Gill, Callum Farr, from Northamptonshire County, and Castle Royle’s David Langley all finishing within the top 15 on the leaderboard behind winner, Frenchman Paul Margolis.

The best of the bunch was 20-year-old Gill, who went into the final round in fourth place after rounds of 67, 71 and 65. He started his final round with an eagle three on his way to recording a four-under 66.

That saw the Yorkshireman climb to third place on 11-under with a total of 269. The result comes hard on the heels of Gill reaching the last 16 in The Amateur Championship, at Portmarnock.

Twenty-five-year-old Farr, who was runner-up in the Spanish Amateur in early March, carded two rounds of 66, a 74 and a 67 to finish seventh on seven-under par while B.B.&O. Walker Cup hopeful Langley was four shots further back in a share of 13th place.

Langley – last year’s Philip Scrutton Jug winner – for the best aggregate in the Brabazon and Berkshire Trophies – carded rounds of 69, 70, 66 and 72.

B.B.&O.’s David Langley who won the Philip Scutton Jug in 2018 – one of the most prestigious strokeplay prizes in English Amateur golf, at The Berkshire, in Ascot.

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