Stewart and Moore gain pass marks at MENA 

Tour Q School in Spain

 The leading graduates at the MENA Tour Q School with Duncan Stewart (in blue, white cap) in the middle of the back row.

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Duncan Stewart (Turnhouse) and Glenbervie's Fraser Moore havpe gained pass marks at the MENA Tour's inaugural Qualifying School, played over 36 holes at Almenara Golf Club, Sotogrande in Spain.
Bad weather reduced the tournament from a scheduled three to two rounds.
Stewart, from Grantown on Spey, shot rounds of 75 and 71 for two-over 146, finishing second in a field of 92 players to Spaniard, Javier Gallegos (71-73 for 144).
Moore scored 78 and 79 for 157 and finished joint 26th among the top 60 who gained Category membership for the 2016 MENA Tour which will have 20 events on its schedule.

The English foursome, comprising Liam Crawford, Andrew Marshall, Jordan Garnish and David Booth (a Stirling University graduate and former Scottish youths champion from Rotherham), finished in a tie for fifth a further shot adrif

The leading 12 players shared a prize fund of $13,000 with Gallegos walking away with a winner’s cheque for $3,000. The top 15 also received complimentary Mena Golf Tour membership for 2016.

Gallegos started the final round with a birdie on the second, but two bogeys and a double bogey (on the 8^th which he eagled in the first round) set him back. He, however, recovered well, playing his next 10 holes at two under.

Mohamed Juma Buamaim, chairman of the MENA Golf Tour, congratulated all the players who earned their playing rights for the 2016 season. “It was great to see players from so many countries compete in the Q-School, which was an apt reflection on the growing strength of the tour,” he said.

“By successfully hosting the Q-School, we have also fulfilled one of the major criteria in order to be awarded Official World Golf Rankings,” he added.

Entries to the Q-School, 92 in all, included an eclectic mix of experience and youth with English players leading the chart with 35 entries while 16 golfers spearheaded the Spanish challenge.

The MENA Golf Tour next travels to Morocco for the Royal Golf Anfa Mohammedia Open, starting from March 23 to 25 as part of its expanded 2016 schedule which see the tour cover new destinations in Kuwait, Egypt, Spain, Thailand and South Africa.

 

Sam Macneil from Aboyne and Cawder's Michael Stokes failed to make it. Macneil shot 91-85 for 176 while Stokes scored 90-87 for 177.

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