Professionals overcome fightback from Amateurs to win Dubai title

Joy Chakravarty 09:08 18/05/2015
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  • Undefeated for eight years: The Professionals are all smiles after sealing victory at the Majlis course of the Emirates Golf Club on Sunday.

    The Amateurs waged a fine fightback in the singles on Sunday, but the Professionals had considerably more firepower towards the middle and back end of their singles lineup as they won the Dubai Golf Trophy for the eighth successive year.

    The final score stood 18.5-13.5 in favour of the Professionals. It was the 14th win for them in the 16-year history of the tournament. The Amateurs last won it in 2007 for the second time only.

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    Having started the second day at the Majlis course of Emirates Golf Club four points behind at 10-6, the Amateurs won five of the first seven matches.

    Christopher Rahm put up the first point of the singles for the Amateurs in the second match, beating Josh Taylor 3&2. Earlier, Al Badia’s Gavin Sutherland won 5&3 over Ricky Dominguez for the Pros. Rahm was the star for the Amateurs, winning his three matches.

    UAE No1 Thomas then won the second point for Amateurs with a 2-up result on the 17th hole over Phil Waine, while Bayhaan Lakdawala needed one more hole for his 1-up win over Malcolm Young.

    Steven Munro then got the better of Griffin Joseph 4&2, but the next two matches were won by Amateurs’ Craig Vance (3&2 over Tom Buchanan) and Michael Harradine (5&4) over Matthew Naylor.

    At that point, the scoreboard read 12-11 in the favour of the Professionals. But Nicoll and Brendan O’Leary who took the thrill out of the competition with two big wins.

    O’Leary then recorded a 7&5 win over Sidney De Souza, moments before Miki Mirza’s 7&6 win over Ryan Smith. Ryan Hunter beat David Gray 2&1 to restore the onepoint difference.

    But that was where the Amateurs resistance ended. The Professionals were already up in the next four matches and they won them in the end. The last match between Martyn Hamer finished all square with Andrew Smolak.

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