Strong finish propels Marshall to victory at El Jadida
Serghini wins MENA division despite late surge from El Maouas
EL JADIDA (Morocco), March 31: A cool-headed Andrew Marshall dug deep into his vast reservoir of experience to win the inaugural El Jadida Championship by HLO here.
The 42-year-old Englishman closed with a level-par 72 to reach five-under for the tournament, beating overnight leader Florian Praegant of Austria by a good two shots for his third career win — and the first on the MENA Golf Tour he joined only this season after graduating from the qualifying school.
Two shots behind going into the final round, Marshall and Praegant were engaged in a nip-and-tuck battle, but the former European Tour star came through with two birdies in his last three holes.
Praegant, who boasts a second on the MENA Golf Tour, had his chances to close the deal, but he stumbled coming home, dropping five shots between 13 and 17 holes, including a double-bogey on the 16th, and that made all the difference.
“I’m really happy and ecstatic to win my first event on the MENA Golf Tour. Morocco has been very good to me”, said Marshall after receiving the winner’s trophy and a cheque for $9,000.
The presentation party included Mohammed Chaibi, vice-president of the Hassan II Golf Trophy Association (ATH), Jalil Chabehe, general manager of Hotel Pullman Mazagan Royal Golf & Spa, Said Bazi, secretary-general of the province El Jadida, Abdellatif Saad, cabinet manager of the Governor of El Jadida, and Mohammed Juma Buamiam, chairman MENA Golf Tour.
“Overall, I played okay, but never expected to win as I was two behind at the start of the day, but on the 16th Florian made a double-bogey and I hit close to the pin for a birdie and that three-shot swing swung the match in my favour”, said the Englishman, who finished in a tie
for 48th at the 2006 Open Championship.
“For me, I am not starting my career, but for the young guys the MENA Golf Tour is a great breeding ground with so many events on their schedule”, said Marshall, a former member of the Emirates Golf Club in Dubai, who finished second on his debut on the MENA Golf Tour at Mohammedia last week.
GOLF
Scotland’s Duncan Stewart and Luke Joy of England shared the third on level par, two shots ahead of a four-man group which included South Africa’s Thriston Lawrence, the winner of the 2015 MENA Golf Tour Order of Merit title.
Morocco’s Faycal Serghini, who is a three-time runner-up on the tour, returned a final round 74 to win the MENA Division for professionals on two-over 218, a good two shots ahead of his compatriots Younes El Hassani and Mustapha El Maouas.
It was El Maouas, who made the big-
gest charge of the day, shooting a brilliant five-under 67 — the week’s lowest score — to sign off on a confident note.
Making the turn at level-par, the 2013 MENA Golf Tour Order of Merit champion for amateurs lit up the back nine with five birdies, including three in a row from the 11th in a sign of the growing standards of the region’s talent.
Among the notables, England’s Zane Scotland, who won the MENA Golf Tour season-opener last week, carded a levelpar 72 to finish in a tie for 1th on four over along with his compatriot James Allan, who turned professional at the start of the 2016 MENA Golf Tour season.
The MENA Golf Tour travels to Spain for the inaugural Sotogrande Masters to be held at La Reserva Golf Club from April 4-6.
An initiative of the Sheikh Maktoum Golf Foundation, the MENA Golf 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.