Brady and Neal earn Windy Victory at Jumeirah Golf Estates
On a day where high winds ensured tough scoring conditions, Gerry Brady and Geoffrey Neal qualified for the inaugural International Pairs UAE National Final by the narrowest of margins on Saturday 19th February. The series’ second visit to a European Tour venue following December’s event at Abu Dhabi Golf Club saw Jumeirah Golf Estates’ members competing over Fire Course, sister of the Dubai World Championship’s Earth Course.
With three teams finishing on 38 points in the better-ball format, a countback was required to separate them and determine the runners-up but with 39 points, Brady and Neal sealed victory and an invitation to the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club and Park Hyatt Dubai for the National Final in May where they will compete with 17 pairs from every club in the UAE for a place in the International Pairs World Final in October.
The winning card was a picture of consistency as Brady and Neal managed to score four net birdies and thirteen net pars combining nines of 20 and 19 points. Brady in particular displayed some impressive golf including a putt holed from off the green to save par on the 4th hole, although he was indebted to Neal toward the end of the round as he steadied the ship, producing a solid up-and-down from the greenside bunker on 16 to maintain momentum before Brady’s birdie on the tough closing hole ultimately proved decisive!
The countback on 38 points saw Brian Kenny & Duncan Smith’s storming back-9 of 21 points secure second place but they were left to rue an indifferent bogey-bogey start to the round and finished just one point shy. Third place was won by the lowest handicap pairing to participate in the 2010-11 International Pairs UAE series as Christopher Wilmot (3) & Bilbo Perrot (0) followed a flawless front-9 with a steady inward nine but couldn’t quite recover from bogeys at 11 and 12.
Nearest the Pin prizes were awarded to Claire Lindsay and Geoff Hunter for their efforts on holes 8 and 14 respectively.
This was the sixth Qualifying event in the 2010-11 Tech Access International Pairs UAE Presented by Cadillac and Brady & Neal join representatives from Arabian Ranches Golf Club, Abu Dhabi City Golf Club, Abu Dhabi Golf Club, The Montgomerie Dubai and Al Ghazal Golf Club whose names are already in the National Final draw. The next Qualifying event will be staged at The Els Club, Dubai on 12th March when their members will have the opportunity to be involved in the only Club Members’ international event in the UAE! International Pairs UAE is sponsored by Tech Access, Cadillac, Diamond Developers, Emirates Healthcare Ltd. And partnered by Park Hyatt Dubai, Delwood, Nike Golf, Sport 360, Worldwide Golf and UAE Golf Online.
Photo: Tech Access International Pairs UAE Jumeirah Golf Estates Qualifier winner Geoff Neal.
