Callum Nicoll left no doubt as to who is the best teaching professional golfer in the UAE when he won the UAEPGA Strokeplay Championship, and along with it the UAEPGA Order of Merit for a fourth successive year.
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The UAEPGA Strokeplay Championship was the final event of the season and was played over 36 holes at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club. Hosted under the patronage of Acuma and IP Global, it featured 30 professionals battling it out for the coveted trophy.
Nicoll, Head Professional of The Els Club Dubai, led the way in round one with a two-under par round of 69 – one of only two sub-par rounds of the tournament.
Congratulations to Callum Nicoll, winner of the @@uaepga Championship 2015 with a total score of 145! pic.twitter.com/cFaXMG5dZr
— Dubai Creek Golf (@DubaiCreekGolf) April 28, 2015
That put him two shots clear of DG Golf Professional Matthew Naylor and a further two shots clear of David Gray, also of DG Golf. Nicoll wasn’t at his best in the second round and dropped four shots in his outward nine, which helped several players make a charge at him.
Tom Buchanan of Al Ain was the first to put pressure on the leader after a two-under par front nine, while Mark Ruddy of Sharjah posted even-par to leave them both only three shots back with nine holes to play.
Gray and Naylor tried to force the issue but Nicoll steadied the ship over the more difficult back nine of the Dubai Creek, coming back in just one-over par for a five-over par total of 76.
That gave Nicoll a three-shot victory over Buchanan (148), who finished with the best round of the second day with a 70, while Naylor finished in third position on 149.
The 16 top Professionals in the Order of Merit will now finish the season with the Dubai Golf Trophy in May, the annual tournament that pits them against the 16 top Amateurs in the UAE.
Meanwhile, Buchanan took the 2015 UAEPGA Matchplay title at The Els Club Dubai. In the morning semi-finals, Buchanan took on Malcolm Young of Arabian Ranches while Stuart Fee of Jebel Ali Golf Resorts was up against Fraser McLaughlin of Al Ain.
Buchanan beat Malcolm 4&2 and took on Fee in the final after the latter beat McLaughlin 2&1. Buchanan was in fine form in the final, winning 7&6. His two rounds on the final day included as many as eight birdies in the 28 holes he played.
