Dubai: Former European Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke has confirmed his participation in next week’s Dubai Creek Open, Round 10 of the 15-stage Mena Tour, from September 11-13.
The 2011 Open champion, who is also a Mena Tour patron, will join defending champion Rayhan Thomas in a strong starting line-up, including 15 winners on tour, at a course where he holds a joint record of 63 with Lee Westwood and Ben Eccles.
It may only be Clarke’s second appearance on tour since the 2015 RAK Classic, where he finished tied for second, but his regular inputs have been instrumental for the fledgling tour’s growth.
As well as Clarke’s presence, the Dubai Creek Open’s field will also be boosted by English duo Zane Scotland and Lee Corfield, who between them boast 14 Mena Tour victories. English veteran Andrew Marshall, Jake Shepherd and 2016 Mena Tour Order of Merit winner Craig Hinton are also playing.
But none of the potential storylines are more compelling than defending champion Rayhan Thomas, who last year — at this tournament — became the first amateur to win a Mena Tour event. Since then the 17-year-old Dubai-based Indian has rapidly risen to 50th in the world amateur rankings, and should he successfully defend his title he would only become the second player to win the Dubai Creek Open twice after Zane Scotland.
“I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but it would be great to give myself another chance and hopefully do it,” said Thomas. “It’s my home course and it’s where I learnt to play golf. The game’s feeling good and I am hoping to ride on the good momentum coming into the week. With legendary Darren Clarke in the field, I am sure every player will be ready to give it their best. It will be great fun,” added Thomas, who won the Scottish Boys’ title and made the semi-finals of the US Junior Amateur after making the cut at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic this season. He’s also a top qualifier for Trevor Immelman’s international team ahead of the inaugural Junior President’s Cup later this month.
Saudi Arabia’s Othman Al Mullah, who won last year’s best amateur from the region, will also be hoping to continue form. He will be joined by Oman’s Azaan Al Rumhy and the UAE’s Ahmad Al Musharrakh.
“I have really worked hard on my game and it’s trending in the right direction. Like every player in the field, my goal is to win the tournament. It’s my home course and so, hopefully, local knowledge will come in handy,” said Al Musharrakh.
A full field of 120 players, including 21 amateurs, will tee it up on Monday, promising an absorbing contest despite the heat.
