Ras Al Khaimah: Zane Scotland staged a furious back-nine rally to overcome a stuttering start before returning a level-par 72 in the opening round of the Ras Al Khaimah Classic on Monday.
The magnificent fightback, which saw the defending champion make six birdies in his last seven holes at Tower Links Golf Club left the Englishman four shots off the pace as he walked off the course, visibly relieved.
On a hot and humid day when 50 players shot par or better, Toni Ferrer (Spain), Ashley Rees (England) and Abdulrahman Sihag (Kenya) all shot 4-under 68 to seize joint control of the $50,000 (Dh183,653) tournament. Morocco’s Ahmad Marjane heads an eight-man chasing group on three-under with nine players just a shot further back in what promises to be an intense battle for top honours on Wednesday.
As many as seven Arab golfers, including the UAE’s Ahmad Al Musharrakh, put red numbers on the scorecard with Morocco’s Younes El Hassani carding a level-par 72 in a healthy sign of the growing standard of the game in the Mena region.
Marjane mixed four birdies, including three on the back nine, with a lone bogey on the seventh, to lead the race for the Shaikh Maktoum Golf Award as fellow countryman Amine El Malki hit the front in the amateur division with a two-under 70.
Making his debut on the Mena Golf Tour England’s John Singleton, who earlier this year qualified for The Open Championship, settled for a level-par 72.
“I really enjoyed my day out there. It was my first competitive round since The Open and I obviously felt a bit rusty.
“The course is in great condition. You will have to play well to win here as the standard of the competition is very high with players like Zane in the field,” he said.
“Hopefully, I would be able to hole more out in the second round and get into contention,” said Singleton, a resin factory employee in Birkenhead.
It was Scotland’s stunning rally that stood out. The 32-year-old ignited his challenge in style after dropping five shots on two holes on the outward nine.
“It was a nightmare. On the fifth, I lost my ball off the tee and three putted for a triple bogey then on the sixth my ball got stuck in a palm tree, resulting in a double-bogey.”
Elsewhere, 2014 Mena Golf Tour Order of Merit leader, Luke Joy and Cyril Suk, the winner of the Shaikh Maktoum Dubai Open, both carded matching 72s to stay in the mix while Chris McDonnell, the dual winner of the 2014 British and Austrian PGA championships, slipped to four-over 76.
