MIKEL BREAKS SAMANAH COURSE RECORD WITH A 10-UNDER 62

eGolf Tour rookie Mikel Martinson broke the course record over the Jack Nicklaus-designed Samanah course record, pictured right, at Marrakech, Morocco today with a 10-under 62 in the first round of the Samanah Classic. His brilliant scorecard included a bogey at the 18th!
This is the first of two events behind staged in Morocco by the North Carolina-based eGolf Tour.
There's a huge field with such luminaries as Zane Scotland in it.
Any concerns that Mikel Martinson may have had about adapting to professional golf on the continent of Africa were quickly put to rest on Sunday afternoon. Playing in one of the day’s early threesomes, the native Texan blistered the Samanah Country Club lay-out to the tune of nine birdies and an eagle en route to a course-record-setting 62 and the first-round lead in the eGolf Tour’s inaugural Samanah Classic.
Martinson, who hails from Lubbock, Texas, began his opening round on the front nine and immediately had a good feeling about his day.
"I thought the course suited my eye in the practice rounds since it has a real American feel to it,” Martinson said of the Jack Nicklaus-designed layout. “I think the golf course really fits me well."
That latter sentence could be in early contention for 2011 understatement of the year.
A benign opening par at the par-4 first quickly gave way to a torrid stretch on Samanah’s front nine for Martinson, as he would post birdies at Nos. 2, 4, 5, 6 and 8 to rapidly ascend to 5-under on the day through just eight holes. An eagle at the par-5 ninth would cap off an outward nine of 7-under 29 for Martinson, and would set the tone for more of the same on Samanah’s closing nine.
"The putts were just falling early on,” said Martinson. “I hit it really well on the front nine and managed to knock a few close to start the day. All of that combined really got me going.”
Birdies at 11, 12 and 13 would take Martinson to 10-under on his round with five holes to play. Trying his hardest not to let any thoughts of “59” creep in his head, Martinson posted pars at 14 and 15 before adding yet another birdie at the par-5 16th to move to 11-under on the day.
With two holes to play, and two birdies needed to reach that magic number of 59, Martinson’s day ended with a par at 17 and a disappointing bogey at the par-4 18th.
"Coming down 18 at 11-under, I was just trying to be patient,” said Martinson of his hiccup at the last. “I knew how I stood, but I still tried to block everything out.”
Regardless of his round-closing bogey at 18, Martinson’s stellar 10-under 62 set a new course record at Samanah, eclipsing the old mark by two shots.
"It was just one of those days, and I’m glad it came here in Morocco,” Martinson said. “Everyone here has been great to us thus far. It has been a lot of fun and I’m hoping that my play continues to reflect that.”
Martinson played his college golf at Wayland Baptist University, where he was a two-time NAIA “All America” selection. Playing at a smaller school did not put him on the front page of many newspapers, but his win at the prestigious 2009 Texas State Open likely did. The tournament, which boasts past champions such as Lee Trevino, Ben Crenshaw and Jack Burke Jr., was Martinson’s first professional win and added that tiny bit of confidence that is needed on all levels of golf.
"It definitely boosts my confidence,'' Martinson said at the time. “I was kind of, not doubting myself, but this kind of woke me up and made me realize I can compete with these guys. I kind of proved to myself that I could do it out here.''
Martinson finished T51 in the tour’s season-opening Swiftwick Shootout at Palmetto Hall, but seems well on his way to establishing himself as one of the better players on the country’s de facto No. 3 tour.
Alone in second place is former Wake Forest golfer Chris McCartin of Arlington, Virginia. McCartin posted a round of 8-under 64 to trail Martinson by two shots heading into Monday’s second round of the 72-hole event.
McCartin’s 64 was punctuated by a five-hole birdie stretch during the middle of his round on Nos. 9-13 that would vault the soft-spoken Virginian to 8-under on his day before a bogey-par-birdie-par-par finish would leave him there at it’s conclusion.
The 64 marks a career best for McCartin on the eGolf Tour.
In solo third, three shots behind Martinson, is Billy Hurley of Annapolis, Maryland. Hurley posted a bogey-free round of 7-under 65 settle inside the top five at day’s end. Hurley was the only player in the entire field to post a bogey-free round on Sunday.
Hurley is likely right at home playing abroad and testing his game on the world’s stage. A former first-team “All American” and United States Walker Cup player while attending the Naval Academy, Hurley turned professional immediately after college and won his first pro title at the eGolf Tour’s Cedarwood Classic in the fall of 2006.
In the summer of 2007, he began a two-year station at Pearl Harbour, where he would be based when not at sea – all as part of his Naval Academy commitment. From January to June of 2009, Hurley was based out of the South China Sea and the Red Sea. His Naval requirement ended shortly thereafter, and he was free to pursue his professional career.
After finishing T127 at PGA TOUR Q-School last December, Hurley enters 2011 with conditional status on the Nationwide Tour, and plans to split time between the eGolf and Nationwide Tours, as a member of both.
Tied for fourth with opening rounds of 5-under 67 are Ryan Carter, Phillip Mollica and Nick Taylor.
Taylor, who hails from British Columbia, Canada, is making his first career eGolf Tour start after finishing a standout career at the University of Washington in 2010. The Husky star was a three-time “All America” selection and was the recipient of the 2010 Ben Hogan Award, given annually to the nation’s top collegiate player.
Following the conclusion of 36 holes, the field will be cut to the low 60 players and ties.


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NOTE FROM COLIN FARQUHARSON
If the American pros think there's no danger attached to playing golf in Morocco - you should be thinking along the same lines with a view to playing in either or both of the Morocco double-header tournaments in October.

October 8 to 15: The 2nd Morocco Golf Festival at five different courses around Marrakech, including Samanah.

October 18-19-20-21: The inaugural Moroccan international men's women's and seniors' amateur championships at Agadir where there will also be a 54-hole Stableford event for all those who don't have low enough handicaps to play in the championships.

+All the details and how to enter available by logging on to http://www.morocco4golf.com/
Mohamed Fakir of Menara Travel will arrange your flights, your hotel booking, your tournament entry fees and your transfers from airport to hotel to golf course and back again ... for no extra charge.
Any queries? E-mail Tournament Director Colin Farquharson at Colin@scottishgolfview.com

PLAY GOLF IN AFRICA FOR A WEEK ... BRAG ABOUT IT FOR A YEAR