Dubai: Fifteen-year-old Sana Tufail from Yas Links Golf Club won the Els Club Ladies' Amateur Open for the second time in its three-year history with a splendid round of 73 gross on the Ernie Els-designed Championship Course on Saturday.
Fufail showed some uncharacteristic flaws on the front nine, ending up with a two-over 38, but she made amends on the back nine with two excellent birdies on the 13th and tricky 16th to complete her account at one under.
Julia Al Hamoud was runner-up for the second week in succession to Tufasil with a fine 76 gross, followed by another youngster Kavita Sehmi, who hit 78 gross, which bodes well for junior golf in the UAE.
By winning her seventh successive ladies' open title of the season, Tufail — the young British prodigy from Abu Dhabi — now has a nearly unassailable lead of 75 points in the race for the EGF Ladies' Order of Merit Title for 2012 with three events remaining. The final three competitions will take place at The Montgomerie, Jumeirah Golf Estate and Emirates Golf Club.
"I always love playing at the Emirates Golf Club and would play there regardless of my position in the table, after all it is the home of two major events on the European professional tour — the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters and the Omega Dubai Classic — it would be madness to miss playing at such a venue," Tufail said.
