Dubai: The Mena Golf Tour will commence after a summer break with a strong field contesting for a share of the $50,000 (Dh183,630) prize money at the Dubai Creek Open in September.
With the first two events on the 2014 edition of the tour in Morocco producing first-time winners, the interest in the tournament has further intensified in anticipation of what new storylines will emerge if the early trend continues.
England’s Joshua White, who won the Royal Golf D’Anfa Open, the opening event on the tour this season, currently leads the Order of Merit standings with of $9,490 in earnings, just ahead of France’s Edouard Espana, who claimed a cheque for $9,000 for winning the Royal Golf Dar es Salaam Open in his debut on the tour.
Moroccan players dominate the Arab division for the Shaikh Maktoum Golf Foundation Award, which recognises the region’s top-3 amateur and professional performances, with Faycal Serghini and Ayoub Lguirati (amateur) topping the standings in their respective divisions.
The Dubai Creek Open, starting on September 15, will be contested by over 120 players, including 33 amateurs, from 27 countries already signing up ahead of the deadline for entries that expires on August 31.
Headlining the early entries are Jake Shepherd of England and Stephen Dodd of Wales, the winners of the order of merit titles for professionals in 2011 and 2012 respectively, along with England’s Lee Corfield, Sandro Piaget of Monaco and Shafiq Masih of Pakistan, all former winners on the tour.
Morocco’s Lguirati, Zi Hao Su of China, Azaan Al Rumhy of Oman, Stuart Cameron of England and India’s young prodigy Rayhan Thomas are some of the leading amateurs in the field who will be showcasing the tour’s talent pool bubbling beneath the surface.
The Dubai Creek Open is no stranger to international golf and they will be welcoming the Meba Golf Tour for the third time. “We look forward to welcoming players from different nationalities on the Mena Golf Tour. As in the previous years, the field looks pretty strong and I am sure the script will have some exciting twists and turns,” said Mustafa Al Hashimi, Chief Executive Officer of Wasl Hospitality and Leisure that manages the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club.
