Mena Tour heads for an exciting finish in Ajman
ajman — Luke Joy will be hoping to build on back-to-back runnerup finishes and get across the line this time around when he tees it up at the Mena Tour Championship at Al Zorah Golf Club in Ajman on Monday.
With four seconds and a third in nine starts under his belt, the 29-year-old Englishman is currently placed second on the Order Of Merit, but he is eager to step up a notch and end the season on a high at the Jack Nicklaus-designed layout.
The dice is heavily loaded in favour of Jamie Elson who has put himself in the box seat for the coveted ‘Mena Tour champion’ title with eight top-10s, including a first, a second and three thirds from 13 events this season, but the script could change in a hurry.
Victory would hand Joy the prestigious Order of Merit of title while a top-three finish would be enough for Elson, also of England, to seal the deal as the season finale carries a larger than usual prize fund of $100,000 with the winner taking home a cheque for $18,000.
Swede Fredrik From and Englishman Andrew Marshall also have a mathematical chance, ensuring a thrilling finish to the event that features the top 50 professionals and the 10 leading amateurs from their respective Orders of Merit.
“Even though I didn’t get the win in Kuwait, it was great to be in contention again for the second consecutive week and put some more money on the OOM board going into the Tour Championship,” said Joy, a two-time winner on the Mena Tour.
“Very happy with how the game is holding up and very much looking forward to getting stuck in this week and see if we can build on the past two weeks,” said the Englishman, who lost in a playoff to Elson in Jordan and settled for second, two shots adrift of Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre in Kuwait in the last two events.
The race for the leading amateur is all but decided with England’s Todd Clements enjoying a massive lead over his nearest challengers, thanks to his incredible run of success, studded with five wins in a row in his division.
The 21-year-old prodigy, who won the winner of the 2017 English Amateur Championship at The Berkshire in August, has 311 points to his credit with Switzerland’s Michael Harradine (238) trailing in a distant second.
Mohamed Juma Buamaim, chairman of the Mena Tour, thanked all clubs and players for their continued support to the tour. “They all have been wonderful partners as we strive to stimulate the overall development of the game in the region and beyond.
“We are excited to be making our first visit to Al Zorah for the season finale which, for the first time, is a 72-hole affair. Their support is a reflection on the strides being made by the tour in putting the region on the sporting map.
“I would also like to thanks Jordan’s Ayla Golf Club and Pattana Golf Club and Resort in Thailand that hosted Mena Tour events for the first time this season. I see this as another positive development for the tour and hope they become a popular and permanent stop on the Tour in the future.
“The fact that most of the events this season threw up firsttime winners in addition to producing improved scores is a reflection on the growing strength of the tour. I wish all players competing in the Tour Championship the very best.”
An initiative of the Shaikh Maktoum Golf Foundation, the Mena Tour was created in 2011 with the aim of developing golf in the region. It is affiliated to R&A, the worldwide golf governing body based in the home of golf, St Andrews, and the Arab Golf Federation and enjoys the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) status.