Darren Clarke unveils MENA Golf Tour Qualifying School
NEWS RELEASE
RAS AL KHAIMAH – The MENA Golf
Tour is on the verge of a new dawn with the launch of the inaugural Qualifying
School, offering a simplified roadmap for earning playing status on the tour in
2016.
Open to all professionals and amateurs — with a handicap of one
or better — the 54-hole Q-School will be held at Almenara Golf Club in the Spanish
resort of Sotogrande in the Cadiz province, in two stages in February next year.
The first stage, on February 14-16, will see players compete
over 36 holes of stroke play when the half-way cut will be made, winnowing down
the field for a final stage 18-hole competition to be held the following day.
The introduction of the Q-School, conforming to the
guidelines set forth by the game’s apex body, will pave the way for the MENA
Golf Tour to become eligible for Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) status.
Entries, including that of amateurs, will no longer be based
on date and time, but rather by one’s ranking based on performance in the
Q-School. The official entry form will be made available on the tour’s website.
The launch of the Q-School is part of an ambitious plan to
expand the schedule of the MENA Golf Tour to close to 20 events, covering new
destinations like Kuwait, Egypt, Spain, South Africa and Thailand in 2016.
Calling it an exciting development, Darren Clarke, Patron,
MENA Golf Tour and 2016 Europen Ryder Cup Captain, said: “I look forward to
welcoming all players and hope to see some new blood hit the front.
“There has been a lot of fresh talent coming up through the
ranks over the last few years, but the opportunities are very limited for young
professional golfers to develop and showcase their skills on a global basis.
“This is one tour which provides the springboard to gain the
right competitive atmosphere to gain professional experience, especially,
amateur golfers. They are the ones who hold the key to the development of the
game in the region.”
Mohamed Juma Buamaim, chairman of the MENA Golf Tour,
commented: “We believe the Q-School will enhance the level of competition in
addition to bringing more transparency in determining the fields for our
events.
“I am confident that the MENA Golf Tour will soon be
eligible for official golf ranking status which will provide a fresh energy
boost to the growth of golf in the region,” he added.
“We enjoy great relationships with the Arab Golf Federation
and all associations that are part of the apex body in the Arab world and
appreciate all the hard work the host venues do in preparing the courses in top
condition.
“Our tour has become stronger over the years, due to
the continued backing of premier clubs in the region.”
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 RandA, the worldwide golf governing body based in
the home of golf, St Andrews, and the Arab Golf Federation.
Added incentives for the tour members include guaranteed
spots in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and various invitations to other
European Tour tournaments around the globe, including the Hassan II Trophy in
Morocco and the Malaysian Open.
Labels: MENA TOUR