Dubai: Clarke Lutton shook off an early stumble to hit the front with an eventful five-under 67 on the opening day of Mena Golf Tour’s Golf Citizen Classic at The Els Club Dubai on Monday.
The Scotsman, playing in the day’s second group, drilled six birdies and one eagle against one bogey and a double bogey in his lowest round on the tour to establish a narrow one-shot lead over Czech Republic’s Cyril Suk on a very warm day.
Germany’s Aaron Leitmannstetter occupied solo third a further shot adrift as an 11-man group, which included Scotland’s Paul Doherty, the current Order of Merit leader, and Slovakia’s young amateur prodigy Jakub Hrinda, moved into a tie for fourth on two-under 70.
“The front nine was quite eventful: I did everything possible I could do, running up a double bogey, bogey, birdie and eagle. That eagle on the par-5, fifth kind of got me going and things fell into place thereafter,” said Clarke, who smashed his three-wood from 241 yards to within 10 feet and holed the ensuing putt for an eagle.
“This is my home course and local knowledge did come in handy as the round grew older. I may not have done anything special out there, but it was quite a steady round, probably my best on the Mena Golf Tour,” said Clarke.
Czech Republic’s Suk flew off the blocks in style, reaching four under after five holes, thanks to an eagle on the fifth before making the turn at three under.
Suk, the winner of the 2014 Shaikh Maktoum Dubai Open, bogeyed 10 and 16, but a birdie-birdie finish ensured he stayed in contention going into the penultimate round.
In the amateur division, Slovakia’s 15-year-old prodigy Hrinda made his presence felt, upstaging regular contenders — James Allan of England (74) and India’s Rayhan Thomas (73) — to join England’s Benjamin David at the top, one ahead of Todd Clements, also of England.
Fresh off competing in the European Tour’s Qualifying School in Italy, Amine Joudar carded a level-par 72 to lie one shot behind fellow Moroccan Mohammad Bellaroussia as Faycal Serghini, Ayoub Lguirati and Saudi Arabia’s Khaled Attieh returned an identical 73.
