Sam Mullane (JGE) shot a second round of one under par 71 to co-lead on four under par at the top of the leaderboard alongside Daniel Butteriss (Eng) after 36 holes on the Fire course in the 2023 Jumeirah Golf Estates Men’s Amateur Open today (Saturday).
The 54-hole event is the penultimate qualifying tournament of the 2022 – 2023 Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) Men’s Order of Merit, in addition to an R&A supported World Amateur Golf Rankings (Men’s Division) qualifier. Tomorrow’s final round will be played over the Earth course off the Tournament Tees. This is the first time the JGE Men’s Amateur Open has been played over three days, to comply with the R&A WAGR tournament conditions.
20 year-old Mullane, started the day as co-leader on three under par alongside Joe Jones (Wales).
He went to the turn with a one birdie and one bogey front nine to reach tee 10 in 36 strokes.
Mullane dropped another shot on hole 11 and then hit back with birdies on holes 12 and 13 to re-establish a lead and finished birdie – bogey - par on his last three holes.
Round of the day and the tournament to date, in the 107 player field came from Daniel Butteriss (Eng) who plays out of the Beaconsfield Golf Club in Buckinghamshire, off a two handicap with a second round five under par 67, following his first round 73, with seven birdies including one on his last hole to join Sam Mullane at the top with 18 holes to play.
Others in the mix include Jay Mullane (JGE) on two under par alongside first round co-leader Jones and then Marcus Dutton (JGE) on one under par and Jonathan Selvaraj (Trump International GC) at level par with six players at par or better.
In the Net Division after 36 holes, Butteriss, leads on eight under par, followed by David Guinee (Trump International Doonbeg, Ireland) playing off a two handicap on three under net.
Stephen Wilson, Golf Operations Manager at Jumeirah Golf Estates, said at the end of round two, ‘Congratulations to all the players who played today, the wind was up this afternoon at over 20 kph and made the golf course a couple of shots tougher that yesterday’s round one. It looks as though the wind will be even stronger tomorrow, that should test all the players. There are five Gross and three Net Prizes to be decided tomorrow and there are still a bunch of players in contention for the silverware.’
Tomorrow’s (Sunday) tee times begin at 6.40 am off tee one on Ezarth course with the leaders out last: Sam Mullane, Jones and Butteriss in the final threeball group off at 12.40 pm.
Round Two Leaders (Par 72, 7,062 Yards Tournament Tees)
Gross Division
1 - S. Mullane (JGE) 69, 71 = 140 (-4)
- D. Butteriss (Eng) 73, 67 = 140 (-4)
3 - J. Jones (Wales) 69, 73 = 142 (-2)
- J. Mullane (JGE) 70, 72 = 142 (-2)
5 - M. Dutton (JGE) 72, 71 = 143 (-1)
6 - J. Selvaraj (Trump International GC, Dubai) 71, 73 = 144 (Par)
