Scotland aiming to catch Mena Golf Tour leader Joy at Ras Al Khaimah Classic

Zane Scotland will need to summon all his obstinate qualities if he aims to stop runaway Order of Merit leader Luke Joy and defend his title at the MENA Golf Tour’s Ras Al Khaimah Classic, starting on Monday at Tower Links Golf Club. The Englishman signalled a return to form with a top-three finish at last week’s ASCORP GOLF CITIZEN Abu Dhabi Open and will hope to keep the momentum going when he joins a strong field led by his countrymen Joy, Jake Shepherd, Lee Corfield and Joshua White and experienced Stephen Dodd of Wales – all former winners on the tour.

The return of Czech Republic’s Cyril Suk, who won the Shaikh Maktoum Dubai Open two weeks ago, will further ratchet up excitement to the $50,000 tournament, the sixth stop on this year’s MENA Golf Tour schedule.

All eyes, however, will be on Joy, who has turned the tour into his personal playground, raking up two victories and a second in his first three events on the tour this season.

“Absolutely buzzing and so happy to get my second win, it’s been a fantastic three weeks in the Middle East and my form has been terrific,” said Joy who turned professional in 2012. “It will be nice to get some more under my belt.”

With the field looking for the right recipe to end his amazing run of success, the intensity of the competition promises to spice things up in a field that comprises 117 players, including 28 amateurs.

“I was struggling with back pain recently, but it has subsided now. I am feeling a lot more comfortable on the golf course and hitting some good shots out there. It seems my game is coming back,” said Scotland, who boasts a whopping six wins on the MENA Golf Tour.

“It feels fantastic coming back to a course where you have done well. It adds to the confidence, but it’s a new week and you’ve got to make sure you keep doing everything you need to do to continue with that success,” said Scotland, who is also a ‘golf in DUBAi’ ambassador.

Scotland’s Daniel Kay and England’s Elliott Oxlade will be aiming to close the gap on James Allan, also of England, at the top of the Order of Merit for amateurs after jointly topping the division last week.

The duo will be up against a deeply talented field that includes Slovakian prodigy Jakub Hrinda, who won the 2013 Qatar Classic on his debut at the age of just 13, and in-form Craig Vance of England, making the competition a lively affair.

With back-to-back victories on the bounce under his belt, Morocco’s Younes El Hassani is riding the wave of success in the MENA Division for the Shaikh Maktoum Golf Foundation Award as his compatriot Faycal Serghini is struggling to find form at the moment, having missed the cut twice in his last three tournaments.

But Serghini, who finished runner-up to England’s White in the MENA Golf Tour’s opening event in Mohammedia earlier this year, sees it as a temporary blip on his radar screen. “Ups and downs are very much a part of the game. It’s just a question of stringing together one good round and things will fall in place. I am confident it will happen soon,” he said.

The Ras Al Khaimah Classic has once again attracted a full field of players. “The fact that so many players signed up for the RAK Classic demonstrates the growing popularity of the event — and also of the tour,” said Mohamed Juma Buamaim, chairman of the tour.

“We thank the players for their enthusiastic response to the event and will do our best to ensure they have a great time playing on this superb course.

“I am grateful to the Tower Links Golf Club management for preparing the course in top condition and we can expect some exciting golf ahead,” he added. “The backing of premier clubs in the region plays a key role in successfully organizing tour events.”

Simon Payne, the head golf professional at the Tower Links Golf Club, said the course is set up nicely and will provide a fair test of golf.

“There are some tricky holes out there which could hold the key to posting good numbers,” he said. “Anyone walking off with a par on the fifth (par-5), 13th (par-5) and 17th (par-4) would have done a great job. Any better scores on these holes will be a bonus.

“The par-five18th is reachable and we can expect lot of eagles there. It’s a great finishing hole and could well decide the winner on the final day,” said Payne.

An initiative of the Shaikh Maktoum Golf Foundation, the MENA Golf Tour was created in 2011 with the aim of developing golf in the region. It is affiliated to R&A, the worldwide golf governing body based in the home of golf, St Andrews, and the Arab Golf Federation.

Pic caption: MENA Division leader Faycal Serghini of Morocco, who finished runner-up to England’s Ross Canavan at the 2011 RAK Classic, tees off for a practice round at Tower Links Golf Club