Justin Harding, who produced five birdies on his back nine on Sunday to win last year’s Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, which moves to Education City GC, for his defence.
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JUSTIN Harding hopes memories of his victory in Doha last year can fuel his challenge for more success at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters – which moves to a new venue this week.

The South African lifted his maiden European Tour title in dramatic fashion at last year’s event after some last day heroics saw him hold off a big chasing pack at Doha Golf Club.

Harding fired five birdies on the back nine – including at the 15th, 17th and 18th – to earn a two-shot victory from a group of nine players who tied for second.

Harding after playing a practice round recalled: “It was a pretty good day.

“I got off to a good start, lost my head a little bit on seven and eight, but looked at the leaderboard and nobody ever really seemed to be running away with it.

“There looked like a lot of guys that were there or thereabouts,” added Harding, who rose from 74th in the Official World Rankings that week to a career high of 42nd, but who is now down to 99th.

“I ended up birdieing 11 and 12, then again 15. When I parred 16 I thought that was a chance given away, but I hit a good shot and made a great putt on 17.

“And birdie on 18 was big because it meant guys had to make two coming in, added Harding, who needs a big week in his quest to move back into the world’s top 50 to secure his place in the USPGA Championship in May.

“It was a bad little 45-minute wait but nobody seemed to really post a score. I think there were nine guys tied for second so I was quite pleased to avoid a play-off.

“It was cool to have finally crossed the line and got a W. It is just a matter of trying to feed on the same sort of memories this week and see if we can defend it.

The 34-year-old won’t have the defending champion’s advantage of returning to the same course as the event moves across the Qatari capital for the first time in its 23-year history.

The action moves from Doha Golf Club to Jose Maria Olazabal’s Education City Golf Club – a landmark project for Qatar and the world of golf – which offers a “revolutionary” approach to growing the game.

Harding, who finished 12th on his Masters debut in 2019, added: “I played so many new courses last year it’s actually quite nice. You’ve almost got no bad memories, you’re playing fresh.

“It’s a nice little challenge. It means everyone is pretty much in the same boat,” said Justin Harding of the 7,307 yard, par-71 course, which features paspalum grass greens.

“It’s not like you’re playing against a bunch of guys that have a world of good memories and good things to bring out on their play.

“It’s just one of those where you’ve got to go out and play with what you have on the day and deal with what happens.

“It’s a good golf course. I’ve played nine holes and I think the wind’s going to blow. It’s going to make it challenging for scoring.

“You’ll probably find it’s not going to be 20-under par winning, it’s going to anywhere in between -12 and -15.

“I’m looking forward to going out, seeing if we can execute plans, make some birdies and see what happens.”

Justin Harding is joined in the field by former World No. 1 Martin Kaymer, the 2018 Commercial Bank Qatar Masters winner Eddie Pepperell, from Oxfordshire’s Frilford Heath, as well as last week’s Oman Open winner Sami Valimaki.

The latter picked up four wins on the German Pro Golf Tour last season – the same route Kaymer, who has won three times in Abu Dhabi during the Desert Swing since 2008, took to the European Challenge Tour in 2006.

Valimaki, who also won as an amateur on the Gecko Tour in Spain, was a 250-1 shot heading into just his sixth event last week at Oman’a Al Mouj Golf, which again attracted high praise as one of the best courses on the European Tour.

•For tee times in the first round of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, click here.

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WINSTONgolf Senior Open winner Clark Dennis after the American fired a superb 63 to come from six shots back to pip Spain’s Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal in Germany.
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CLARK Dennis came from six shots behind to win his fifth Staysure Tour title at the WINSTONgolf Senior Open after a stunning nine-under par 63 in the final round.

The American made five consecutive birdies in his last six holes to set the target at 15 under par, and with overnight leader José María Olazábal bogeying the 16th hole and unable to move back to the summit, Dennis became the first American to triumph at the WINSTONgolf Senior Open.

It was the 53-year-old’s lowest round of the week and lowest round of the season at WINSTONgolf in Vorbeck, as he won for the first time since he equalled the Tour’s low 54-hole score to win the MCB Tour Championship – Mauritius last December.

“It’s one of the best final rounds of my career,” Dennis said. “I played fantastic today. Most rounds you look back on them and say I could’ve done this or that, but aside from hitting it in the water on the first and making a par there, the round could not have been any better.

“I figured I was playing for second place. I told my wife that I probably needed to birdie the last six holes to have a chance and I almost did it.

“I had a birdie putt on 18 which went close, but those type of runs are never expected, they just happen.”

Dennis began his final round with three birdies in his opening five holes, making the turn at three-under par.

Olazábal, who was hoping to win his first Staysure Tour title, was six shots ahead of him after nine holes, but the following eight holes saw the American reel in the Spaniard before passing him.

A gain on the par three 11th got the ball rolling on the back nine before he made five successive birdies from the 13th hole to wipe out Olazábal’s lead, narrowly missing out on a birdie at the last, but setting the target in the clubhouse at 15 under par.

With Olazábal dropping a shot on the par four 16th and unable to birdie the final two holes, Dennis was crowned the WINSTONgolf Senior Open Champion.

“Olazábal is a gentleman,” Dennis said. “I’ve played with him before and he’s an absolute gentleman. I kind of felt bad, keeping him from winning his first Staysure Tour, title but I had to do what I did.

“Olazábal and Langer are the best of all time. They’re both two-time Masters Champions. They are incredible players.

“To be able to compete against them is great but to beat them is even better because you know you have to play your best golf to beat those guys because they’re fantastic players.”

The Spaniard finished a stroke behind Dennis for his best finish on the Staysure Tour, with James Kingston of South Africa two further shots back in third place after his final round of 66, six under par.

Home favourite Bernhard Langer finished at 11-under, chipping in for birdie on the last, to join England’s Jamie Spence in a share of fourth place.

Dennis and his fellow competitors will now travel to Royal Lytham & St Annes for the final Senior Major Championship of the season, The Senior Open, from July 25-28.

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Mexican Esteban Toledo is looking to record his first European Seniors Tour victory after Bernhard Langer invited him to play in the WINSTONgolf Senior Open, at Vorbeck. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

ESTEBAN Toledo recorded his lowest round in Europe to take the lead at the end of day one at the WINSTONgolf Senior Open after an eight-under par 64.

The Mexican, making his debut appearance at WINSTONgolf in Vorbeck, made 10 birdies in his round of 64, despite not having played the course in competition before.

The round included five successive gains from the 12th hole to lead by two shots after the opening round.

The signs for a good round were there to see after the 56-year-old started with three birdies in-a-row. A bogey followed on the next hole but two gains in his next three holes saw him make the turn at four under.

A dropped shot on the par-three 11th could have upset Toledo’s rhythm, instead it spurred him on, recording five consecutive birdies to race up the leaderboard and claim top spot at the end of the first day.

With a lead of two shots and 10 birdies on the card, Toledo was thrilled with his opening day’s work and to be playing at the WINSTONgolf Senior Open.

“This is the best round I’ve shot in Europe,” said Toledo, the first Mexican to win on the US Seniors Tour. “I made a lot of putts and hit the ball pretty straight.

“I made two bogeys, a three-putt on 11 and got the wrong club on the fifth, but the rest of them I never put myself in a position to make bogey.

“I think playing with Paul Wesselingh and the amateurs kept me relaxed which really helped me. I kept the ball on the fairway and hit a lot of great second shots and made a lot of putts.

“This golf course is beautiful, and I want to thank Erwin and Langer Sports Marketing team for inviting me because I received a tournament invite for this week.

“All my life I have wanted to come to Germany and I’m really happy to be here,” added Toledo who won four times on the PGA Champions Tour between 2013 and 2016, having only won once on the Web.com Tour.

“It’s a beautiful golf course which Mr Pon has helped create. I’m having a great time in Germany, but I know there are a lot of good guys behind me.

“So I’ve got to step it up over the next two days because there is still a long way to go. I hope I can win here in Europe because I’ve never done that in my life.”

Two shots behind Toledo and hoping to put the pressure on over the next 36 holes is a chasing pack of four players.

American Dan Olsen, Thailand’s Thaworn Wiratchant, last month’s Senior Open Hauts de France winner Peter Baker, and 2012 Ryder Cup Captain José María Olazábal, who recorded his first sub-70 round on the Staysure Tour, all signed for a six-under par round of 66.

Home-favourite Bernhard Langer, looking to claim victory on home soil for the first time since 2001, is two strokes further back at four-under.

The second round of the WINSTONgolf Senior Open begins at 9am local time with Toledo starting his second round at 9:50am.

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