Sikhio: Craig Hinton believes a level of ignorance could be bliss as he aims to snap his run of near misses on the Mena Golf Tour at this week’s Mountain Creek Open by Golf Citizen, starting on Tuesday.
Like many in the field, the Englishman may not have played on the only Seve Ballesteros-designed course in Thailand before, but his four runner-up finishes on the tour have proved he can flourish in a foreign environment.
The 27-year-old from Thame had his chances to get over the line at last week’s Ras Al Khaimah Classic, but was left to rue another near miss when he lost in a three-way playoff, extending his wait for his maiden title on the tour, which he joined in 2013.
“However painful my near-misses have been, I have tried to stay positive. My game is right up there and I believe I have that consistency where I could win any time,” said Hinton, who is currently placed fourth on the Mena Golf Tour Order of Merit.
“I’m playing really well and it would be nice if I can keep the momentum going,” added the Englishman, who will join a strong field led by his compatriot Lee Corfield, a four-time winner on the tour.
Other notables in the field include the Scottish duo of Paul Doherty and Clarke Lutton, Sweden’s Per Barth and England’s Scott Campbell, all former winners on the tour, as Changtai Sudsom and Krisawat Thongkon of Thailand will spearhead the local challenge.
Scotland’s Ben Alexander, who signed off with a 68 to finish runner-up in the amateur division last week, will be hoping to go one better this time round and consolidate his position on the Order of Merit.
For that to happen, he will have to see off the challenge of India’s Rayhan Thomas, who made a triumphant return to the Mena Golf Tour, winning the amateur division title at the Ras Al Khaimah Classic, his first tour event of the tour season.
The two rising stars, along with Thailand’s Witchayanon Chothirunrungrueng, promise to keep things interesting when the Mountain Creek Open gets under way on Tuesday.
An initiative of the Shaikh Maktoum Golf Foundation, the Mena Golf Tour was created in 2011 with the aim of developing golf in the region. It is affiliated to R&A, the worldwide golf governing body based in the home of golf, St Andrews, and the Arab Golf Federation and enjoys the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) status.
Multiple European Tour starts, including the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, the Hassan II Trophy and the Maybank Championship Malaysia in addition to full playing privileges on the Sunshine Tour and exemptions into the Final Stage of the Asian Tour Q-School for the leading three professionals are some of the added incentives for the Mena Golf Tour members.
