El Jadida: Showing maturity beyond his years, rising Indian star Feroz Singh Garewal fired a tidy two-under 70 to take a share of the lead going into the final stage of the Mena Golf Tour’s Qualifying School at the Royal El Jadida Golf Club in Morocco on Tuesday.
The 19-year-old from Chandigarh, who turned professional in 2015, reeled off three birdies and a bogey to join Spain’s Leonardo Axel Lilja Moyano, who carded a level-par 72, at the top of the leaderboard on one over par 145.
England’s Billy Hemstock, Scotland’s Walker Cup winning star Grant Forrest and Sweden’s Henric Sturehed, who matched Garewal’s best score of the day, shared second, a further shot adrift, as Scot Jack Doherty occupied solo sixth on three over after carding a second-round 74.
Joint leader Lilja Moyano produced one of the most eventful rounds of the day, playing his last 15 holes in four-under after a stumbling start that saw the Spaniard drop four shots in his first three holes.
Overnight joint leader Danny Poulter slipped into a tie for 11th on five over after signing for a 76 while former England cricketer Craig Kieswetter finished the day tied for 44th on 15 over after dropping eight shots, including a triple bogey on the par four, 14th, in his last 11 holes en route to an indifferent 82.
Elsewhere, Ahmad Al Musharrakh also carded a mistake-laden 82 that left the UAE’s only professional sharing 53rd on 17 over on a day when only four players broke par in a reflection of tough scoring conditions.
The field was narrowed down to 72 players for the final stage 18-hole competition to be played on Thursday. The top 55 and ties from the final qualifying round will earn membership to the Mena Tour this season.
The Mena Tour was founded in 2011 to develop golf in the region. Players can earn world rankings points with the best also getting; invites to play in select European Tour events, full privileges on the Sunshine Tour and exemptions into the final stage of Asian Tour Q-School.
