Clarke cards six under to be two shots behind leader

Joy Chakravarty 00:23 04/11/2015
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Great initiative: Mohamed Juma Buamaim with Darren Clarke at the Q-School launch.

    Darren Clarke carded a superb six-under 66 to lie just two shots off the pace going into the final round of the MENA Golf Tour’s Ras Al Khaimah Classic on Tuesday.

    The 2016 European Ryder Cup captain mixed eight birdies with two bogeys to reach seven under for the tournament as South 

    Africa’s Thriston Lawrence backed up his opening 69 with a 66 to claim a one-shot lead at nine under over Morocco’s Faycal Serghini.

    – #360view: Dubuisson’s resurgence is great for golf & Ryder Cup
    – 
    Joy’s Diary: Virus wrecks Westwood’s promising start in Turkey 
    – Joy of Golf: European Tour must stand firm with stars

    Clarke, who is the patron of the MENA Golf Tour, picked up shots in his first two holes to set the tone for the day. 

    He rounded off in a similar fashion with back-to-back birdies, putting himself in prime position for the final day charge.

    Joining the 47-year-old Ulsterman in a four-way tie for third at seven-under were the English duo of James Allan (amateur) and Craig Hinton and South Africa’s Tyler Hogarty.

    Allan, who came close to victory before finishing second in a playoff at the recent Ascorp Golf Citizen Open, sounded confident of going all the way this time around.

    “I look forward to competing against such a top-quality field. You never know what tomorrow holds, but I am playing well. The confidence is there and let’s see what happens,” said the 21-year-old from Chelmsford.

    Victory against such a talented field headlined by European Tour winners — Stephen Dodd, Malcolm Mackenzie and Miles Tunnicliff in addition to Clarke — could well mark a defining moment in the career of Allan, who is waiting for the “right moment” to turn professional. Allan’s closest rival in the amateur division, Rayhan

    Thomas of India, also made a charge up the leaderboard, carding a second round 67 to move to two-under for the tournament.

    Morocco’s Serghini, who currently leads the MENA Division, returned a 70 to go eight-under, putting himself in the frame of his maiden win on the tour.

    “I am striking the ball well and hopefully it will get even better,” said the 38-year-old from Casablanca, who is a three-time runner-up on the tour. 

    “I feel like I am in good position and may be able to get over the line this time around.”

    Meanwhile, the MENA Golf Tour received a big boost with the launch of the inaugural Qualifying School, offering a simplified roadmap for earning playing status on the tour in 2016.

    Open to all professionals and amateurs — with a handicap of one or better — the 54-hole Q-School will be held at Almenara Golf Club in the Spanish resort Sotogrande in the Cadiz province, in two stages in February next year.

    The first stage, on February 14-16, will see players compete over 36 holes of stroke play when the half-way cut will be made, with a 
    final stage 18-hole competition to be held the following day.

    The introduction of the Q-School, conforming to the guidelines set forth by the game’s apex body, will pave the way for the MENA Golf Tour to become eligible for Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) status.

    Entries, including that of amateurs, will no longer be based on date and time, but rather on performance in the Q-School. The 
    official entry form will be made available on the tour’s website.

    The launch of the Q-School is part of an ambitious plan to expand the schedule of the MENA Golf Tour to close to 20 events, covering new destinations like Kuwait, Egypt, Spain, South Africa and Thailand in 2016.

    Calling it an exciting development, Clarke said: “I look forward to welcoming all players and hope to see some new blood hit the front.

    “There has been a lot of fresh talent coming up through the ranks over the last few years, but the opportunities are very limited for young professional golfers to 
    develop and showcase their skills on a global basis.

    “This is one tour which provides the springboard to gain the right competitive atmosphere to gain professional experience, especially, amateur golfers. They are the ones who hold the key to the development of the game in the region.”

    Mohamed Juma Buamaim, chairman of the MENA Golf Tour, commented: “We believe the Q-School will enhance the level of competition in addition to bringing more transparency in determining the fields for our events.”

    Recommended