DUBAi // The 2014 Mena Golf Tour schedule, featuring 10 events spread across five countries in the region, has announced its calendar for 2014, with all 10 tournaments being retained.
The tour begins in mid-March with back-to-back events in Morocco – one each at Royal Mohammedia Golf in Casablanca and Royal Dar Es Salam Golf Club, Rabat – before taking a summer break.
The schedule resumes in mid-September with four stops in the UAE and one each in Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia before returning to the UAE for the season-ending Tour championship in November at Al Ain Al Ain Equestrian Shooting and Golf Club.
With each event boasting a prize fund of US$50,000 (Dh183,650) and the Tour Championship carrying $75,000 in prize money, a total of $525,000 will be up for grabs for members of the tour, which is affiliated to the Arab Golf Federation and the R&A, golf’s governing body.
There is a chance that the tour will expand further in future seasons, according to Mohamed Juma Buamaim, chairman of the Mena Tour.
“We have many other countries in the region like Egypt, Lebanon, Tunisia and Bahrain who have shown a keen interest in hosting tour events,” he said. “We are hopeful of making additional tournament announcements in the near future which will further strengthen the playing schedule for the broad spectrum of our membership.
“The overwhelming success of the previous three editions of the tour has given us the confidence to drive the game forward with greater optimism,” he added.
“Our primary aim is to develop amateurs who represent their respective countries in the region. They are the ones who will encourage more people to take up golf. With many overseas professionals and amateurs in the field, the tour exposes them to a highly competitive environment they need to hone their skills.
“The fact that the previous three editions of the tour have produced two [Amateur] Order of Merit champions – Ahmed Marjan (2011) and Mustapha El Maouas – from the Arab world shows they are relishing the challenge. This is great for the tour.
“We also need players who have already played on different tours to give it more strength,” he said, adding: “Guaranteed spots in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic for the top three professionals and the leading amateur on their respective orders of merit, I believe, are a good enough incentive besides the prize money for players to sign up the tour events.”
Exemption into the final stage of Asian Tour’s Qualifying School for the top three professionals and a reserved spot for the leading professional in the Tropher Hassan II, a European Tour event in Morocco, has further spiked the interest for the players, reflecting on the tour’s growing popularity.
The top three professionals and the leading amateur who made it to the 25th edition of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic consisted of England’s Zane Scotland, Welshman Stephen Dodd and rising English player Lee Corfield along with Mustapha El Maouas of Morocco