DUBAI: Younus Al Hassani credited his ball-striking prowess as he fired an impressive four-under 68 to finish just one shot off the pace after the opening round of the Mena Golf Tour’s Shaikh Maktoum Dubai Open at Al Badia Golf Club on Monday.
The 42-year-old Moroccan rattled off five birdies and an eagle against three bogeys to join the English trio of Joshua White, Andrew Marshall and Adam Sagar in a tie for second, just behind early pacesetter Fredrik Lindblom of Sweden, who opened with a tidy 67.
India’s Rayhan Thomas, who has climbed to 852nd place from 1,139th in the world golf rankings following his victory at the Dubai Creek Open last week, continued his rich vein of form on the Mena Golf Tour, carding a three under par 69 to occupy solo sixth.
Tiago Lobo, a Dubai-based amateur from Brazil, was in a three-man group a further shot back on two under alongside Spain’s Antonio Costa and Shafiq Masih of Pakistan.
“Played very solid golf, missed just two greens. I have been working really hard on my putting. It was nice to see putts falling in. I could have done even better, but you can’t complain after a shooting in mid-sixties,” said Lindlom, who turned professional in 2014.
“Overall, it was a pretty satisfying day,” said the Stockholm native, who is playing in second season on the Mena Golf Tour.
A regular on the Mena Golf Tour since its inception in 2011, Morocco’s Al Hassani said he struck the ball beautifully. “I missed two greens, but had great fun playing on this course even though the blazing sun made things a bit difficult,” said Al Hassani, who leads the Mena Division that features 18 players from the region.
“I missed shorts putts at third and sixth, on both from two feet which was a shame,” said the 42-year-old from Tangiers, who, however, holed a long 30-footer for an eagle on the eighth after finding the green with his three-wood from 245 yards.
European Tour veteran Marshall Marshall also felt he played very good golf in tough conditions. Going bogey-free always feels nice. I was never in serious trouble and may have missed just a couple of greens and that too by a whisker,” said the Englishman whose 68 was highlighted by a 25-foot curling putt on the 12th for birdie.
Elsewhere, defending champion Per Barth of Sweden, Danny Poulter, brother of Ryder Cup hero Ian, carded matching 71s while Zane Scotland, an 11-time winner on the Mena Golf Tour, settled for 73 along with his compatriot Luke Joy.
Joy, who finished runner-up to India’s Thomas, looked in cruise control, going five under after 15 holes, six dropped six shots on his last three holes set him back.
UAE’s Ahmad Skaik led the challenge in the Mena Division for amateurs, returning a fine 73 to sit one ahead of Saudi Arabia’s Khaled Attieh and two off Saud Al Sharif, also of Saudi Arabia.
