Payne wins back-to-back tournaments

Dubai: A second-place finish in the UAE PGA Championship over 36 holes has allowed Simon Payne (Palm Resort, Al Ain) to win back-to-back UAE PGA Order of Merit titles.

Payne shot 74 and 72 over the tough links course to finish four strokes behind James Bowring (Al Naboudah). The 75 points he picked up was enough to give him an unassailable lead in the Order of Merit.

Payne, the 2006-07 champion, opened the season by winning the first Order of Merit event at the Montgomerie, Dubai, and was never behind in the standings as he strung together a series of top-10 finishes over the 16-event calendar.

Prize money for this season has totalled Dh82,820 - the highest in UAE PGA history.