NICOLSON TURNS PRO ON MONDAY AND HAS DEBUT ACE TUESDAY

                                        SHEIKH ON IT ... CONGRATULATIONS FOR GREG NICOLSON

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Colin@scottishgolfview.com

Edinburgh’s Greg Nicolson is the latest Scottish golfer to turn professional – and he had his first ever hole in one today in his debut event on the MENA Tour, the Abu Dhabi Golf Citizen Open at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club

Nicolson, 25, who played out of Mortonhall Golf Club as an amateur, used a nine-iron to ace the 168yd par-3 sixth hole in a second-round, two-under-par 70, which represented a seven-shot improvement on his Monday effort.

With a 36-hole tally of 147, he easily made the cut in joint 16th place and is looking forward to making the top 10 at least over Wednesday’s final round.

Leading the field on five-under-par 139 is Yasin Ali with rounds of 70 and 69. He leads by one shot from Shafia Masih (69-71) and Younes El Hassani (69-71).

Zane Scotland and Scots-born Ross Bain are joint fourth on 141, Zane with ronds of 69-72, Ross 72-69.

Greg is staying with his brother Jeff, a former Scottish Claymores American football player and also ex-Watsonians) in Abu Dhabi. He did not decide until Monday morning before his first round to turn professional.

Commenting on his hole in one, Nicolson said:

"It wasn’t a fluke. I struck it very well and the ball went straight into the hole after one bounce. It certainly was the best shot that I hit all day.

"Today was quite an eventful day. I had my chances to put up good numbers, but missed at least six putts. So you can say it was pretty frustrating out there, but that strike on the sixth kind of made my day." said Nicolson, who took to golf when he was about 17 years old.

"I represented Scotland in field hockey and was equally good at tennis and squash, but I gave up all to focus on golf. I thought I would be as good at golf as I was at the other sports.

"I am very happy the way things are shaping up. I will always remember this MENA Golf Tour event. It’s turning out to be quite dramatic for me," said Nicholson, who is attached to the Yas Islands Links Golf Club.

Greg spent four years on a golf scholarship at Long Island University, where he played NCAA Div 1 golf, won one tournament, was LIU MVP twice, posted the lowest ever score in the North East Conference Championships , and made the All Conference team three times.

When he returned to Scotland two years ago, he lowered the Mortonhall course record by four strokes to 62. He was recently the MVP in the Edinburgh Summer League.