Wellingboro Golf Club’s Meghan Maclaren in the third round of Jordan Mixed Open, at Ayla Golf Club. Picture by TRISTAN JONES

MEGHAN MacLaren could not produce her second win in a month – and more importantly this time against a field of men – as she lost out to Holland’s Daan Huizing in the ground-breaking Jordan Mixed Open, on Saturday.

Having been an outspoken critic of the disparities in prize money between men and women’s golf in the build-up to the event, the Wellingboro GC member was proud of her display as she missed out by a couple of shots.

Meghan, who led the unique 54-hole format tournament by two shots going into the last day, said: “I’m obviously pretty disappointed not to win this week, having been in such a good position.

“But it was still an honour to be here and represent women’s golf alongside two other great tours. It was pretty tight coming down the last few holes, so I think it was great entertainment for everybody watching.

“It was a great concept but none of us really knew how it would pan out. The way the scores panned out throughout the week showed that it absolutely can work with the right thought process and course set-up if people do the research.

“Female golfers have done ourselves proud this week and it’s been a great environment to be in with all three tours. It’s been an honour to be here and it was a great concept and one that I hope can catch on in the future.

“The research that went into it played out with the scores because it was pretty comparable across the three tours, so I’d like to see it happen more often. I think they did a great job considering that it was the first time that something has been done like this – and I think that’s a great sign for the future.”

“In some ways, it felt like just another tournament, trying to get the best score possible at the end of the week. It’s definitely interesting to have different golfers alongside us.

“There are things that the guys can do and we can’t but there are things that the girls do better than the men as well. It was definitely interesting and something that could happen more often.

“It’s not so much frustration as disappointment. It hurts, but that’s golf sometimes. Golf happened. I missed a couple of putts, which doesn’t help and hit a couple of bad shots at bad times.

“You can’t afford to do things like that. It can change so quickly and everyone who plays golf knows that.

“It hurts to not win, but I know, when I get home and think about it, I’ll be proud of what I’ve done this week and I hope that I’ve represented the LET and women’s golf in general as well as possible.

“It deserves a bit of a spotlight and if this kicks things up a bit, then I’m proud of what’s happened.”

Jordan Mixed Open declared a success by Higginbottom

Tournament director Simon Higginbottom believes the experiment of having a third of the field from the LET, the European Challenge Tour and the Staysure Seniors Tour, playing off different tees to match up their games, had been a total success.

He said: “When something has never been done before it is difficult to know how it will play out. Before the tournament began, we had the ability to analyse average stroke distances for all categories of players.

“But matching that to the course architecture and set up on this course, this week, to create the fairest possible playing field for all competitors, was our main challenge.

“We had incredible support from all of the players in the field, who allowed us to collect invaluable data from this week, which we can scrutinise in future weeks to get an even clearer picture of how this can be done again.”

The chairman of Ayla Golf Club, Khaled Masri, was also a happy man after the ground-breaking tournament.

He said: “We are really pleased with the great success the Jordan Mixed Open by Ayla has achieved.

“This first-of-its-kind international golf tournament has attracted many golf enthusiasts from around the globe, effectively placing Jordan on the map of major golf events internationally.

“We hope to maintain this growing trend and will continue to welcome new global and regional championships to our world-class golf course.”

•For the full results in the Jordan Mixed Open click here.

Dutchman Daan Huizing with the Jordan Mixed Open trophy. Picture by TRISTAN JONES

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Challenge Tour winner Daan Huizing who held off Ladies European Tour star Meghan MacLaren to claim the first-ever Jordan Mixed Open. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

DAAN Huizing made golfing history by becoming the first player to win a full-field mixed professional tournament with his triumph at the Jordan Mixed Open.

The Dutchman began the final round at Ayla Golf Club two shots behind overnight leader Meghan MacLaren, who opened the world-first tournament with consecutive rounds of 65 to get to 14-under par.

MacLaren started the final day strong, carding two birdies on her first three holes, but Huizing was able to slowly chip away at the Englishwoman’s lead, and by the time the two golfers reached the 13th tee, they were deadlocked on 14 under par.

The stage was set for a never-before-seen battle down the stretch between a male and female golfer competing for the same first prize.

In the end, it was Huizing who came out on top as he converted three crucial birdies on the closing holes and signed for a four under par 68, which gave him a two-stroke victory.

The win was an emotional one for the 28-year-old, who admitted it was a tough off-season after he narrowly missed out on a European Tour card at last year’s Challenge Tour Grand Final.

“I’m buzzing. It’s a big moment for me. I’ve had a rough time at home recently so this is a really sweet way to prove to myself that I’ve got it. The belief in myself and the people around me, my team and my family, I’m really grateful for their support. I’m honoured. I think it’s an historic event.

The Dutchman who won twice in his first season on the Challenge Tour in 2013, said: “To be the inaugural winner — it’s a special moment. I think it’s a great initiative.

“It was great fun playing in a final group with a Challenge Tour player, a senior tour player and a lady player. It was a great battle.

“It’s a different vibe and very special to be the first winner and I hope it’s something that can be continued in the future.

“I went into the day with a pretty open mind and I knew it was going to take a low round, someone was going to shoot low today. I had a pretty rough start and lipped out a couple of putts for birdie and holed a couple of good ones for par on two and three.

“It wasn’t easy and I didn’t play great. I had a few loose ones to the right yesterday and today again, but I battled really well.

“Mentally I was in really good shape and that’s what got me through. I stuck to my processes, stayed patient and Meghan was playing really, really well.

“She holed a couple of big putts on the front nine but left the door open for me on 10 and 11 and I answered with two really good birdies on 12 and 13.

“The buzz and tension down the stretch was great. It was a fight and it wasn’t pretty at times, but it was a great experience and really valuable going forwards as well.

“There are a huge amount of positives that I can take from this,” added the player who claimed the presitigious Lytham and St Andrews Links trophies in his last season as an amateur in 2012, a rare feat in itself.

MacLaren finished the Jordan Mixed Open alone in second place — two shots clear of Martin Simonsen, who matched the Ayla Golf Club course record with a final round of 64, which moved him 17 places up the leaderboard and into third place.

Forty players from each of the European Challenge Tour, the Staysure Tour and the Ladies European Tour, plus three amateurs, made up the 123-player field and will forever be remembered as a game-changing tournament.

The final grouping comprised of one player from each of the three Tours, and of the 66 players that made the cut, 20 represented the Ladies European Tour, 21 were from the Staysure Tour and 25 were from the Challenge Tour.

In addition, the back nine battle for the win between MacLaren and Huizing created tense drama all the way to the end.

Players from all three Tours were represented in the top five. The best performer from the over-50s contingent was José Coceres of Argentina who finished in a tie for fourth place alongside Challenge Tour players Jack Senior and Oliver Farr.

Thorough research was performed by tournament officials before the event began.

Data on driving distance, approach shot distance, club selection and scoring was collected after each round, and will provide crucial findings to all three tours.

The low-amateur competitor, Emilie Paltrinieri of Italy, carded rounds of 70, 74, 73 to finish the tournament on one-over.

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Meghan MacLaren leads the first Jordan Mixed Open after shooting a second successive 65 at the Ayla Golf Club. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

MEGHAN MacLaren picked up where she left off by carding a second consecutive 65 and will take a two-shot lead into the final round of the Jordan Mixed Open, on Saturday.

The Northamptonshire-based pro, who is a champion for the strength of the women’s professional game, has carded 15 birdies and only one bogey through two rounds as her game continues to personify her larger message to the golfing world.

Sitting on 14-under par, the 23-year-old from Wellingboro GC, will look to make history as the first champion in mixed professional golf.

A win would be her second victory of the year, and add to her Solheim Cup points total, after she successfully defended her Women’s NSW Open title in February.

Meghan, whose father David heads the Seniors Tour, said: “There’s a lot of other stuff going on, and I’m proud of the position all three tours have put themselves in, and proud for golf as a whole for this tournament.

“But tomorrow is going to be completely about my own game and trying to get the best score possible out there.

“It looks like a pretty even split with all the players making the cut, which would have been exactly what the tour representatives and the people setting the course up would have wanted, and with a player from each tour in the last group, they couldn’t have written it any better than that.

“I think it’s a testament to the amount of research that has gone into it and that the people running the tournament know about golf. This isn’t just some gimmick, like ‘oh let’s see if this works.’

“There’s been a lot of thought into it and I’m happy it’s playing out like this. I think that’s only going to be encouraging for the future.

“I think this shows that women’s golf has more than a leg to stand on, and if I can prove a point in that regard, then that’s an added bonus.”

“I work hard because I just love golf, it’s not really anything more than that. I guess working hard is just part of my make-up and it’s part of what makes me a good player.

“There’s something nice about when there’s not many people around and you know you’re putting work in, but it’s got to be work that is of benefit to you and not everybody does that.”

Two shots behind MacLaren on 12-under is European Challenge Tour player Daan Huizing, who signed for a second round 68. The Dutchman matched the Ayla Golf Club course-record on Thursday with his a 64 and will now chase his own place in history in tomorrow’s final round.

Dan, who won twice in his rookie season on the Challenge Tour in 2013, but has not won since, said: “There are a couple of things I need to smooth out but I’m happy with how I’m conducting myself and I’m in a good position for tomorrow.

“The goal is to go out and win the thing. That is what we play for and what we practise for.

“I managed my way around quite well and the putts were good. It was the total opposite breeze today from yesterday so every hole was playing differently.

“The par fives, which were down wind and playing easy yesterday were into the wind today. I’ll make some notes from that. I’ve seen the course from both directions now, so whatever happens tomorrow, I’ll be prepared.”

Joining MacLaren and Huizing in the final group is 2018 Staysure Tour Rookie of the Year, Paul Streeter. The 52-year-old from Lincoln signed for rounds of 66 and 70, which puts him in a three-way tie for third place alongside Challenge Tour players Jack Senior, from Lancashire and Wales’ Oliver Farr.

Since Streeter was the first of the three players to complete his second round, he has the honour of playing in the final grouping. As a result, one player from each cohort will engage in golf’s first three-Tour battle down the stretch as they all vie to become the inaugural winner of the Jordan Mixed Open.

Streeter, who won twice in his first full season last year on the over 50s tour, said: “Score-wise, it was as much as I deserved. I didn’t play great and struggled a bit off the tee. I struggled with the pace of the greens and had a couple of three putts out there. Overall, I’d take that.

“Beth Allen was brilliant to play with. She’s a great golfer. She shot a few over each day but she played so much better than that. I really enjoyed it.

“It’s nice to see the ladies play golf, because I think I knew one female professional golfer before this week, and they’re not in the league of what Beth is, so it was great to play with her and see what she does.”

A world-first, the Jordan Mixed Open sees 40 players from each of the Challenge Tour, the Staysure Tour and the Ladies European Tour to competing for the same trophy.

The 36-hole cut will  reduce the field to a total of 66 players for the final round. Of those 66 players, there are 20 representing the Ladies European Tour, 21 from the Staysure Tour and 25 from the Challenge Tour.

The even split of players, and the composition of the final grouping is yet another victory for the future of mixed professional golf.

The important collection of data continued on day two. Driving distances, approach shot distances, competitors’ club selections and individual hole scoring averages were recorded, and the growing data sample will once again inform the course set-up for the final round.

Challenge Tour players have been competing from approximately 7,100 yards, with Staysure Tour players playing from 6,601 yards and Ladies European Tour players from 6,139 yards. Adjustments are made each day based on wind direction and overall weather conditions.

The final round of the historic Jordan Mixed Open begins at 10:30 am BST, on Saturday, with the final grouping of MacLaren, Huizing and Streeter set to go at 14:16 pm UK time.

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Wellingboro’s Meghan MacLaren, who shot a superb 65 in the first round of the Jordan Mixed Open, at Ayla Golf Club. Picture by TRISTAN JONES

DAAN Huizing will forever hold a small place in history as the first overnight leader of the Jordan Mixed Open on eight-under par – but it was the LET’s Meghan MacLaren who did the most to make the unique format an instant success.

The Dutchman birdied half of the holes at Ayla Golf Club against only one bogey to card an opening round of 64.

The sublime score gave Huizing a one-shot advantage over two golfers from England — fellow Challenge Tour player Jack Senior and Ladies European Tour player Meghan MacLaren.

The first day at the Jordan Mixed saw the first use in the world of a format allowing men, women and senior golfers to compete in the same field.

MacLaren, who has been a vocal advocate for the strength of the women’s professional game, wasted no time in backing up her words.

She carded birdies on her first two holes and rode the momentum to post the early target of seven-under.

When the high winds forecast for the afternoon failed to materialise, several players, including Huizing, Senior and 2018 Staysure Tour Rookie of the Year Paul Streeter took advantage.

MacLaren, who successfully defended her Women’s New South Wales Open title last month, was delighted with her start.

She said: “If I’m going to write about it and talk about it all the time, then I’d better back it up with my golf.

“I’m delighted to do it in this tournament, particularly. Hopefully it will send a bit of a message.

“But any time you shoot seven-under in a tournament, you’re not going to be too far off the lead. Hopefully this means a few more people will be watching.

“Given everything I’ve talked about over the last few months, it is nice to back it up. But I didn’t want to put any extra pressure on myself. I’ve been saying to everybody that the girls’ standard of play will show if the course is set up properly.

“I’m just happy with how I’ve played and if that puts me near the top against the guys, then that’s just a bonus, really.”

Dutchman Daan Huzing tees off at the par five ninth in the first round of the Jordan Mixed Open, at Ayla Golf Club. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

Huizing, who won the Lythan Trophy and St Andrews Links Trophy in 2012 before turning pro after playing in his second Eisenhower Trophy at that year’s World Amateur Team Championship, in Turkey, said: “It was a really nice round. I was hitting it nicely and made some nice putts to keep the round going as well.

“I enjoyed it. It was pretty chilled and it was good fun,” added the two-time winner on the Challenge Tour, whose victories both in his maiden season in 2013.

“It’s a different perspective to play with the seniors and play with the ladies. It was a nice, relaxed day, and I think being relaxed helped me play well.

“It will be interesting to see after three days what the findings are, but it was fun.

“We never see the seniors or the ladies because the tournaments are never together, and to hear what they do and how their Tours are, it’s good for us to hear because we normally just see the same guys every week.”

Streeter’s six-under 66 was the low-round among the over-50s contingent and placed the Lincoln golfer firmly in the mix with two rounds to go.

He said: “It was brilliant out there. I really enjoyed it. I think the tees were fairly good and I think we were very close to each other on most holes.

“A few were different but that also depends on how you strike it and the slopes you land on, but it seemed to work really well. It’s a great format and it’s something new for everybody.”

Senior, from Lancashire was also happy with his day’s work, saying: “I think you’ve got to enjoy this format, but it’s hard to know how it’s all going to pan out at the end of the week.

“I’m sure, though, that it will be a successful event and continue to be.”

The innovative tournament sees 40 players from each of the Challenge Tour, the over-50s Staysure Tour and the Ladies European Tour compete for the same trophy over 54 holes.

With the golfing community eager to see how the course set-up would play out, the opening round of the Jordan Mixed Open was a great success with players from all three Tours in contention and well-represented inside the projected cut line of even par.

Challenge Tour players played the first round from approximately 7,100 yards, Staysure Tour players from 6,601 yards and Ladies European Tour players from 6,139 yards.

The unofficial battle for low-couple is heating up with LET Order of Merit leader Marianne Skarpnord and her fiancée, Challenge Tour player Richard Green, combining for a two-under total, while married golfers Kyle Henry of the Ladies European Tour and Scott Henry of the Challenge Tour combined for a one-over total.

Mr Henry said: “I’m sure something along these lines would be great for both the guys and the girls.

“It’s been exciting, it’s been a definite atmosphere for all of us. It’s been good fun and its definitely something where a format along these lines is good for everybody.”

And Mrs Henry, who was prepared to wager some household chores on who would come out on top, added: “It’s been a really fun week and it’s just nice to be at a tournament together because usually the Tours are in different countries and sometimes different continents.

“Scott knew the course quite well, and I didn’t manage to get a practice round, so he was really good at giving me a few tips here and there on how to play the course smartly.”

Tournament officials collected data on driving distance, approach shot distance and club selection from every player who competed on day one and will incorporate their findings into the course set-up for Day Two to continue to ensure the fairest possible playing field for all competitors.

The second round of the Jordan Mixed Open presented by Ayla will begin tomorrow at 7:30 am local time before the 123-player field is reduced to the top 60 players and ties for the final day.

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Scott and Kylie Henry will become the first husband and wife to compete in the same professional tournament at this week’s Jordan Mixed Open. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

MORE than a trophy is on the line for Scott Henry and his wife Kylie this week with the married couple also playing for bragging rights in the inaugural staging of the Jordan Mixed Open.

The Scottish couple will become the first husband and wife to compete against one another in a professional golf tournament this week, with the pair set to do battle in the innovative event which features players from the European Challenge Tour, Staysure Tour and Ladies European Tour.

Although the couple met playing the game of golf, they admit there will be no love lost out on the course tomorrow when the tournament gets under way at Ayla Golf Club, on the Red Sea coast.

Scott said: “In terms of our finances, if we found ourselves coming down the stretch battling it out for the win that would be ideal – although it might not do much for the relationship.

The winner of the 2012 Kazakhstan Open on the Challenge Tour added: “We are both very competitive when we play each other and I probably do win most of the time.

“But Kylie has been coming into a good patch and beat me the other day. There will definitely be a bet between us and it will probably involve household chores. But the bragging rights will be the thing.”

The Henrys will each face a slightly different test this week, with the course set up at 7,100 yards for the Challenge Tour professionals, 6,601 for the over-50 players and 6,139 for the female competitors.

While Kylie, who is a two-time winner on the Ladies European Tour, admits there will be some rivalry, she does confess she’ll be transparent in her approach.

And she stressed they will both return to married life quickly once each day’s play is over.

Kylie said: “We won’t hide anything from each other in terms of strategy on how to play the course.

“We’re both really supportive of each other’s golf and we help each other as much as we can. We’ll discuss how our round goes, but then the golf chat is quickly finished, and we get back to just regular life together.

“We met through the game when we were teenagers in the Scottish set-up and we never imagined back then that we would be playing against each other in a professional event.”

Both players also admit how significant this week is for all three tours and golf more broadly, with 40 players from the Ladies European Tour, 40 from the Challenge Tour and 40 from the Staysure Tour all competing for the same first prize.

“This is a huge week for women’s golf,” Kylie said. “I think all the exposure that women’s golf can get is going to help, and if more girls and more women take the game up it’s a win-win situation.

“Maybe the fact that the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, the ANA Inspiration and the Jordan Mixed Open are all in the same week, there’s a lot of focus around women’s golf this week.”

“It’s great to have such big prize money for the girls and for the Challenge Tour guys as well,” said Scott.

“It definitely adds to the excitement. There’s not much better than winning a nice chunky cheque and a trophy at the end of the week.”

Also in the field this week are another couple – Norway’s Marianne Sakrnpnord and her fiancée Richard Green – who will also compete for a share of the $393,000 prize fund.

The 54-hole tournament will start on Thursday, at 7.30am local time – follow @Challenge_Tour, @StaysureTour and @LETGolf on Twitter for live updates from Jordan.

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