HARDEEP MISSES CUT AS NJOROGE, GIDDIE AND STEPHAN GO THROUGH IN SAUDI CHAMPIONSHIPS
NOT VERY LUCKY: Royal’s Hardeep Thethy prepares to putt at a past tournament. He failed to make the cut at the ongoing American Express Dirab Golf Championships in Saudi Arabia.
By JAMES WAINDI (Chief Editor)
Royal Nairobi Golf Club’s Hardeep Thethy failed to make the cut after a poor second round performance at the ongoing American Express Dirab Golf Championships in Saudi Arabia where he played 10 over par 82 for a total score of 14 over par 158.
There was however, good news for the other Kenyan players in the tournament when three other local professionals, Vet Lab’s Brian Njoroge, Sigona’s Ganeev Giddie and South African based Stephan Andersen progressed to the remaining two rounds of the tournament being held at the lush par 72 Dirab Golf and Country Club.
Njoroge who had played one under on the first day, managed two over in the second round for a total of one over par 145 after the first two rounds, while Andersen managed a level par in the second round after registering one over on the first day to go through to the last two round also on one over par 145. Giddie had six over par 150 after the two rounds.
The cut was made at nine-over-par 153 with a total of 52 players, including 10 amateurs, making it to the final round.
Meanwhile, Daniel Owen matched the day’s best score of 68 to charge back into contention after the second and penultimate round of the American Express Dirab Golf Championship, the third event on the 2012 MENA Golf Tour, on Tuesday.
The talented Englishman mixed five birdies, including three on the front nine, with a lone bogey on the 10th to catch up with William Harrold at the top of the leaderboard at five under 139, one shot ahead of England’s Ian Keenan and Morocco’s leading amateur Amine El Malki, who is producing his own storybook rounds.
Harrold held his nerve to maintain his overnight one-stroke lead with a 71, but fellow joint leaders Shafiq Masih and Scotland’s Duncan Stewart surrendered their early advantage, signing off with identical rounds of 74.
Scotland’s Gavin Dear, who shot a 68 along with England’s Daniel Wardrop, was placed fifth on a three-under 141.
With just three shots separating the top 12, the final day’s proceedings in the Ksh 4.3 million ($50,000) championship, being held under the patronage of HRH Nawaf bin Faisal bin Fahad Al Saud, head of Saudi Arabia’s Youth Welfare Presidency, promises to unfold a thrilling finish.
The eclectic mix of contenders includes Zane Scotland, the former European Tour player, Asian Tour regular Yasin Ali and Morocco’s Faycal Serghini, who are all in red figures going into the final round.
A new initiative of the Shaikh Maktoum Golf Foundation, the MENA Golf Tour is affiliated to R&A and the Arab Golf Federation. The six-stop tour, which is backed by Omega and Mercedes-Benz, boasts a combined prize fund of $325,000. bracelet pandora pas cher bracelet pandora pas cher