Organisers of the MENA Golf Tour have swapped dates for two of the remaining eight events on its schedule this season due to logistical reasons.
According to the revised itinerary, the Shaikh Maktoum Dubai Open, won last year by Stephen Dodd of Wales, will now be played two weeks earlier at Al Badia Golf Club from October 6 to 9 while the Abu Dhabi GOLF CITIZEN Open, which England’s Ross McGowan claimed in 2012, has been pushed back till October 20-23.
The re-jigged dates, however, will not affect other events, including the season-ending Tour Championship, which will be held as scheduled at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting and Golf Club from November 10 to 13.
The MENA Golf Tour, now in its third year, features a total of 10 events on its expanded schedule this season with new stops in Morocco, Oman and Qatar, giving it truly a regional flavor.
The 2013 edition of the tour teed off earlier this year with Morocco playing host to the first two events – the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Rabat and the Royal Golf D’Anfa Open in Mohammedia – in March. The golfing odyssey, which has been split into two stages utilizing the months when conducive to playing golf, resumes next month with Dubai Creek Open welcoming players in the heart of the city.
There is still time left for the deadline to expire, but entries have already picked up pace, promising a full field for each event. Till date, 71 players, including 52 professionals, have signed up for the Dubai Creek Open alone, reflecting on the overall pattern of response to the events.
“All logistical preparations are in place and we are ready to stage the second half of the tour which, we believe, will be as exciting, if not more, as the first leg in Morocco,” said Mohamed Juma Buamaim, chairman of the MENA Golf Tour.
“It is very encouraging to see such a great response from the players and it can only be positive for the development of golf in the region.
“Ours is still a young tour and we need all the support that we can get. I would like to thank all participating clubs for their enthusiastic support to the tour. We appreciate all the hard work they have put in to keep the courses in top condition.”
Launched by the Shaikh Maktoum Golf Foundation in 2011, the MENA Golf Tour is affiliated to the R&A and the Arab Golf Federation. It is supported by Omega as the Official Timekeeper and Mercedes-Benz as the Official Car Sponsor.
Each tournament — a minimum 54-hole stroke-play event — carries World Ranking points and $50,000 in prize money while the season-ending Tour Championship boasts a prize fund of $75,000.
The top three professionals and the leading amateur from their respective orders of merit will be invited to compete in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, the longest-running European Tour event in the region, which next year celebrates its 25th anniversary.
Revised MENA Golf Tour schedule (the first day of each event is reserved for practice):
Sept 22-to 25: Dubai Creek Open at Dubai Creek Golf Club
Sept 29 to Oct 2: American Express Dirab Golf Championship at Dirab Golf Club
Oct 6 to 9: Shaikh Maktoum Dubai Open at Al Badia Golf Club
Oct 13 to 16: Ras Al Khaimah Classic at Tower Links Golf Club
Oct 20 to 23: Abu Dhabi GOLF CITIZEN Open at Saadiyat Golf Club
Oct 27 to 30: ExxonMobil Qatar Classic at Doha Golf Club
Nov 3 to 6: Ghala Valley Open at Gala Valley Golf Club
Nov 10 to 13: Tour Championship at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting and Golf Club.