Andrade and Mehra Blitz Strong Dubai Creek International Pairs UAE Field
Former Club Captain Joseph Andrade forged a formidable partnership with Vinay Mehra to win the 2011-12 International Pairs UAE Dubai Creek Qualifier by three shots.
Andrade, who was captain at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club in 2011, and Mehra blitzed a strong field at one of the UAE’s oldest and most prestigious clubs. With the course presented in immaculate condition, Andrade & Mehra played the back-9 first and started solidly, finding themselves 3-under par after four holes thanks mainly to Andrade’s net eagle on the difficult 13th hole. Despite small blips on holes 14 and 16, Mehra made net birdies on the 17th and 18th to reach the turn with a team score of 21 stableford points in the better-ball format. Arguably the toughest finishing holes in the UAE, Mehra’s steady play was to ultimately prove decisive.
The front-9 proved to be even more fruitful as Andrade & Mehra four net birdies and a net eagle for 23 points and a 44 total. Perhaps inspired by playing alongside the 2010-11 Dubai Creek winners – KJ Singh & Naresh Handa – Andrade and Mehra will head to the June National Final of the Tech Access International Pairs Presented by Cadillac as one of the favoured teams given this form. Singh and Handa matched their winning score (40 points) from last year but did not make their way to podium this time round!
Four pairs finished the day three points off the pace with 41 points and a scorecard countback was required to separate them. Always contenders, father and daughter team Ishwar & Henna Jodha took the runners-up prize thanks to their last-6 holes. Perhaps left to rue a no return on the 6th hole, the Jodhas may well have pushed Andrade and Mehra a little but it wasn’t to be. Third place was won by Marco and Annett Carstanjen while the pairings of Madhav Nair & Ashok Kumar and Rami Safadi & Rabih Sfeila missed the prizes through the countback.
Sfeila, who represented Emirates Golf Club in the 2010-11 National Final, did the nearest-the-pin prize on the 14th while Ashok Singh Sindhu collected the prize on offer on the 5th.
The Dubai Creek Qualifier was the 15th 2011-12 series. Joseph Andrade & Vinay Mehra join representatives from Arabian Ranches Golf Club, Abu Dhabi City Golf Club, Els Club, Yas Links, Emirates Golf Club, Al Hamra Golf Club, Tower Links Golf Club, The Montgomerie Dubai, Al Ghazal Golf Club, Al Badia Golf Club, Jumeirah Golf Estates, Emirates Golf Federation, Sharjah Wanderers Golf Club and Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club who have already secured berths in the National Final.
Tech Access International Pairs UAE Presented by Cadillac is also supported by Diamond Developers, Acuma Wealth Management, Cansco, Rivoli Group, Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi, City & Welcare Hospitals, Royal Caribbean International, Nike Golf, 7Days, Worldwide Golf and UAE Golf Online.
Photo 1: Dubai Creek Qualifier winners, pictured with Head Professional, Stephen Hubner.
