Scott Henry won the Kazakhstan Open seven years ago and a 66 at Tower Links GC gave him a one-shot lead going into the final round of the Ras Al Khaimah Open

SCOTLAND’S Scott Henry climbed to the top of the leaderboard after enjoying some serious family time during the Ras Al Khaimah Open.

The Challenge Tour regular followed his opening-round 65 with a six-under par 66, at the United Arab Emirates’ Tower Links Golf Club, on Tuesday.

The 32-year-old from Clydebank had brother-in-law Christopher Walker on the bag in the Arena-sponsored MENA event, the penultimate tournament on the Journey to Jordan before next month’s Tour Championship.

Henry’s idea of having fun was to add seven birdies and an eagle to his seven-birdie round on Monday, to take a one-shot lead over young Swede Niclas Weiland (67) and overnight leader Marco Iten (68) of Switzerland after posting a 13-under total.

Wellingborough GC’s Kyson Lloyd (65) moved into fourth place on 11-under after an excellent 65, while Burhill GC’s Australian Daniel Gaunt – trying to chase down South Africa’s MG Keyser in the Journey To Jordan – moved to tied fifth place at nine-under alongside Sweden’s Gabriel Axell, after they both shot 68.

Henry, winner of the 2012 Kazakhstan Open – which used to be the most valuable tournament on the European Challenge Tour – showed his class with a superb display from tee to green, especially on the front nine, including an eagle on the seventh.

Henry said: “I was five-under par through seven holes and I think it was the best I could have ever played tee-to-green.

“The back nine was a bit up and down and I played some scrappy shots coming in. But a birdie on the last was a good way to finish and I am looking forward to the challenge tomorrow,” added Henry.

“I have my brother-in-law on my bag this week and we had great fun on the course. He caddies for my wife (Kylie) on the Ladies European Tour, so he knows his business and he helped me enjoy my round.

“It doesn’t matter whether I am in the lead because I will have to go and play some aggressive golf and shoot some low number tomorrow.

“There are a lot of birdies on this golf course, so the only way I can protect my lead is if I make a few myself and stay ahead.”

His playing partner Weiland had an equally good start and was also five-under through seven, but could not keep pace with Henry on the back nine.

Even though four shots worse than his opening round 64, Iten was happy with his 68.

“The only disappointment was a bogey on the 17^th when I really wanted a birdie there and the last,” said Iten.

“At least I got one on the 18^th. I am playing good golf, so let’s wait and see what tomorrow brings,” said the Swiss player looking for some form going into next week’s European Tour Qualifying School, in Spain, after losing his Challenge Tour card last week.

Sweden’s Erik Lindwall made a hole-in-one on the par-three eighth hole, hitting a perfect six-iron from 214 yards. That helped him finish the round on four-under.

The cut was applied at level-par with 48 professionals and nine amateurs making it to the final round on Wednesday.

Hampshire’s 2017 Amateur Champion Harry Ellis has ground to make up if the former Florida State University player is to improve on his back-to-back runner-up finishes on the MENA TOUR.

The 24-year-old from Southampton, who is a member at Wentworth GC, carded a 68 to go with his opening 69 to sit in a share of eighth place, six shots behind Henry.

•For full live scoring from the final round of the Ras Al Khaimah Open click here.

Sweden’s Niclas Weiland who carded a 68 to lie in second place on the penultimate MENA Tour event of the 2019 season

The post Ras Al Khaimah Open: Henry shooting the breeze with brother-in-law on the bag appeared first on Golf North.

Sweden’s Lina Boqvist shares the first round lead in the Investec SA Women’s Open after an opening one-under-par 71 at Westlake Golf Club. Picture by TRISTAN JONES

THE Cape southeaster played havoc with scoring in the opening round of the Investec South African Women’s Open at Westlake Golf Club, with only two players in the 126-players field producing sub-par rounds.

Sweden’s Lina Boqvist and Austrian Sarah Schober made the most of an early start to set an uncontested clubhouse target with rounds of one-under 71.

The pair will head into the second round of the Sunshine Ladies Tour and Ladies European Tour co-sanctioned event with a slender one-shot advantage over three-time home champion Lee-Anne Pace, Spain’s Silvia Banon and Sweden’s Julia Engstrom.

The afternoon field was in for particular punishment from the wind, which gusted at more than 30mph per hour at times.

Best placed among the late starters were Scotland’s Carly Booth and South African Stacy Bregman, who posted battling scores of two-over 72 while Surrey’s Annabel Dimmock carded a 74 to lie three shots off the early leaders.

“It was really blowing out there,” exclaimed Kim Williams, a three-time former Sunshine Ladies Tour winner after a wild round that featured just three pars.

The Pretoria golfer got off to a great start and held the outright lead at three-under midway. Williams added: “I hit driver, four-iron into the last hole, where we would normally be going in with a wedge.”

Williams eventually signed for a four-over 76, which was good enough for a share of 22nd.

Boqvist, who claimed a top-10 finish here last year, has started her season well and sits 18th on the Ladies European Tour (LET) Order of Merit.

“It’s been a long stretch away from home,” she said of a five-week spell that has taken her from her native Sweden to Abu Dhabi, across Australia and finally to Cape Town.

“I really want to finish well because I love this event. I finished strong here last year and I really want to do the same. My putting is really good right now and I feel like I can trust it, so hopefully it continues to get better through the rest of the week.”

Austrian Sarah Schober joint first round leader in the Investec South African Women’s Open at Cape Town’s Westlake Golf Club. Picture by SHAUN ROY (Sunshine Tour)

Austria’s Schober mixed three birdies with two bogeys and managed to get into the clubhouse before the worst of the wind hit.

“Conditions were really tough out there,” she explained. “Off the tee it’s quite narrow and the holes that play into the wind can be very long.

“I think I made some really good decisions; that and some great was putting was the key to shooting 71. I had only 26 putts today. I didn’t hit many greens but I made some great up-and-downs at most of them to save par and keep the round going.”

Former top ranked South African amateur Kajal Mistry continued her fine run of form with a one-over-par 73 to grab a share of sixth.

More importantly for her, the GolfRSA Elite Squad player boosted her chances to make a run for the Investec Property Fund Order of Merit prize.

Mistry currently second sits in third position, behind only Nobuhle Dlamini in the lead and less than 100 points behind Lejan Lewthwaite.

Dlamini, from Swaziland, who won the sixth edition of the Dimension Data Ladies Challenge, carded 80, while SA Women’s Masters champion Lewthwaite signed for a battling 82.

Defending champion Ashleigh Buhai opened with 75, but will take comfort from the fact that she finished only four shots off the lead.

The three-time champion failed to take advantage of the early start or the par fives and will need a better second round to get herself into contention for successive victories at Westlake.

The post Boqvist and Schober lead South African Women’s Open appeared first on Golf North.