Dubai: Edouard Espana produced a flawless performance in the final round to win the Royal Golf Dar es Salam Open, the second event on the 2014 Mena Golf Tour schedule, on Thursday.
Starting the day two shots off the pace, the Frenchman closed with a bogey-free 69 to reach six-under 213 for the tournament, beating his nearest challenger and overnight leader Ross McGowan by three shots. Italy’s Alessandro Tadini and Germany’s Sebastian Heisele shared third on a two-under 217.
The 24-year-old from Bordeaux, playing in his first Mena Tour event, picked up three birdies on the front nine and one on the 11th to set up his fourth career win since turning professional last year.
“I played really well, much better than I did in the first two days. And my putting was spot on,” Espana said after receiving the winner’s trophy and a cheque for $9,000 (Dh33,057) from Mustapha Zine of the Royal Morocco Golf Federation.
“Ross also played well, but he found trouble on the 14th and 15th and ended up making bogeys there and that turned the match in my favour as I managed to par those holes.”
England’s McGowan also felt he played well, but didn’t hole enough putts. “My tee-to-green was fine and I gave myself many chances, but just couldn’t manage to hole clutch putts. Also, I hit a couple of loose drives and that didn’t help the cause,” he said after closing with a 74.
“Edouard made two big birdies, one each on the 7th and 11th, making very long putts and that, in end, made all the difference.”
Tadini had his chances to catch up with the leaders, but dropped shots on the 13th and 17th to settle for a tie of third. “I enjoyed playing my first tournament on the Mena Tour. It was a great experience since the field was pretty strong,” said the former European Tour player.
“My putting was just unbelievable and, at one stage, I was four-under, but I didn’t play all that well between the 13th and 18th holes.”
The English duo of Yasin Ali and James Housby were tied for fifth on level-par 219, while defending champion Zane Scotland and Stephen Dodd of Wales shared seventh on two-over 221.
England’s James Yeomans won the amateur division with rounds of 78, 74 and 72, reaching five over for the tournament, two shots ahead of Morocco’s Ayoub Lguirati.
Lguirati, however, won the Shaikh Maktoum Golf Foundation Award, which recognises the top-three amateur and professional performances from the region.
Mohammad Juma Bu Amim, chairman of the Mena Tour, and Abdul Rahman Buftas, president of the Royal Golf of Dar es Salam Club, were also at the presentation ceremony.
