Foos to play event in Els Club

Sport360 staff 01:10 19/09/2016
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  • In the limelight: Dominic Foos

    German teenager Dominic Foos, considered by many as one of the potential superstars in the future, returns to the MENA Golf Tour as he tries to win the Golf Citizen Classic on what he considers his “home course”.

    Foos, who trains under Dubai-based coach Justin Parsons at Butch Harmon School of Golf, is a regular at The Els Club, host venue of the tournament.

    Already labelled the ‘new Martin Kaymer,’ the 19-year-old hit global headlines when he stormed to a three-shot victory in the 2015 GANT Open, becoming the youngest winner in European Challenge Tour history.

    At 17 years and 347 days, he eclipsed Spaniard Francis Valera’s record that had stood since 1993 by more than a year, his achievement drawing comparisons with German superstar Kaymer, who won his first Challenge Tour event at the age of 21.

    Foos, who won 14 junior tournaments before turning professional in 2014, will join a strong field headlined by 15 winners of the MENA Golf Tour, including England’s Andrew Marshall, who took the Sheikh Maktoum Dubai Open title last week.

    With two firsts and a second under his belt, Marshall will be seeking to overtake his fellow Englishman Zane Scotland, the current leader of Order of Merit, as just $2,856 (Dh10,500) separate the top two on the standings.

    A regular on the European Tour for many years, Marshall, however, will be wary of the challenge coming from the likes of Foos, who is playing in his third event on the MENA Golf Tour in two years, Scotland, Lee Corfield and Luke Joy – all multiple winners of the Tour – and defending champion Clarke Lutton of Scotland.

    India’s Rayhan Thomas, who has been on a roll this season, highlighted by his victory Dubai Creek Open two weeks ago in addition to a string of top-10 finishes, will be hoping to keep up the good work and further improve his world ranking, which currently stands at 852.

    Like Foos, Thomas is also coached by Parsons, and he too will be eager to perform well on a golf course he is familiar with.

    “It’s nice to see Dominic establish himself as a successful player on the Challenge Tour. He has a great career in front of him. He works hard on all aspects of his game and has a pretty good swing,” said Parsons.

    “We are really proud to be associated with such a wonderful boy, who first came to us when he was just 13. He considers Dubai his home away from home and is really looking forward to play in this event.”

    On Thomas, Parsons said: “His results on the MENA Tour indicate he is improving very fast. He is a very level-headed kid, who has won virtually everything on the domestic circuit.

    “His recent victory at the Scottish Boys’ Open Stroke Play showed he has the temperament to play as well overseas. He is an integral part of our junior programme and we are taking a step-by-step approach.

    The MENA Tour has done a fabulous job in providing youngsters a springboard to step into the next level, which is great.”

    Other notables in the field includes Younes Al Hassani of Morocco, who will be leading the challenge in the MENA Division along with his compatriots Faycal Serghini and Ahmed Marjan while Saudi Arabia’s Othman Almulla will be targeting the leading MENA region amateur award for the second time in a row.

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