Dubai: Prolific winner Zane Scotland believes that an increasing depth of talent on the Mena Golf Tour, which is now in its fifth year, has added more spice to the competition.
With nine wins to his credit, the Englishman this weekend returns to the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam Open, the scene of his emphatic five-shot win in 2013, as a nailed-on favourite, but he preferred to play down the hype, saying: “It’s a new season, a new tournament. What has happened in the past is history.
“There are many new faces on the tour, which is great for the tour and one needs to go up a level to keep pace with the field, which is getting stronger and stronger every year.
“I am not thinking too much in terms of results. The idea is to stay focused and take things as they come. But I believe Moroccan players will have some advantage of playing at home.
“Ahmad Marjane’s breakthrough victory last year has provided a timely boost that golfers from the region were looking for to raise their game. The leaderboard may see some old faces, but the depth of the talent will be reflected in the cut, which may fall in the vicinity of level par.”
Scotland will be up against a strong field spearheaded by Joshua White, the winner of the 2014 Mena Golf Tour Order of Merit, who is quite upbeat about chances of posting a strong finish.
“I have been down this route before and know what to expect. Mentally and technically, I think I’m a better player now after posting my professional win on the tour last year,” White said.
“Also, the experience of playing in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and the Hassan II Trophy has further added to my confidence.
“With cork, oak and eucalyptus trees lining the fairways, there is no room for error.”
White feels his compatriots Lee Corfied, Luke Joy and Max Williams, all former winners of the Mena Golf Tour, will be the players to watch as the tour wears on.
Like Williams, the winner of the 2012 Order of Merit title for amateurs, Morocco’s Mahdi Saissi has also turned professional ahead of the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam Open, which started on Saturday.
“It has always been my dream to turn pro, so I decided to go for it and be confident. It wasn’t a really tough decision since I felt like I’m ready to take the next step in my career,” said Saissi.
“I’ve enjoyed every bit of my amateur career, and winning the Shaikh Maktoum Golf Award last year was certainly one of the highpoints since the achievement gave a confidence boost and motivated me to work harder on my game.”
The 2015 edition of the Mena tour features 10 events with a total prize fund of $525,000 (Dh1.9 million) in addition to $52,000 reserved for the Shaikh Maktoum Golf Foundation award.
