Dubai: Newly crowned Tour champion Joshua White will lead an impressive array of Mena Golf Tour talent at the DUBAi Open when the Asian Tour’s final event of 2014 gets under way at The Els Club Dubai later this month.
Quiet by nature, the Englishman made the most noise on this season’s Mena Golf Tour, winning the Order of Merit title ahead of long-time leader and compatriot Luke Joy with Zane Scotland settling for third.
The talented English trio is among a 23-strong Mena Golf Tour contingent, who will pit their skills against the elite of the Asian Tour in a ground-breaking week that will also provide them with a chance to earn precious World Ranking Points.
Most of the 23 Mena Golf Tour players qualified for Dubai’s newest tour event, including many of the region’s home players led by Ahmad Marjane, Faycal Serghini and Younes Al Hassani, all of Morocco, and Peter Badawy of Lebanon.
Marjane, the first Arab golfer to win a Mena Tour event — the 2014 Ras Al Khaimah Classic — is genuinely excited at the prospect of playing in his first Asian Tour event.
“I have heard a lot about the Asian Tour, which has produced so many world class players over the years. A good showing in the DUBAi Open will certainly be a good advertisement for not only for the Mena Golf Tour, but also for the Arab golf in general.
“We can’t wait to get started. Opportunities like this one don’t come along too often, but we are confident that we can be as competitive as anyone in the field,” said the 22-year-old from Rabat, who finished seventh on the 2014 Mena Golf Tour Order of Merit, one place behind fellow Moroccan, Serghini.
Mohammad Juma Bu Amim, Chairman of the Mena Golf Tour, said: “Golf’s future lies in Asia. The rising popularity of the sport in China and India, in particular, has led to the creation of many new courses and a perceptible upsurge in inbound golf tourism.
Meanwhile, James Yeomans of England and Scotland’s Daniel Kay, who finished third and fourth respectively on the 2014 Order of Merit for Amateurs, have turned professionals and will make their debut in the paid ranks at the DUBAi Open.
