The three top MENA Golf Tour professionals are relishing testing their game against some of the world’s best players at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.
Englishmen Jake Shepherd and Peter Richardson and American Sean McNamara will join the likes of Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer in the field, which also includes Fred Couples, John Daly and defending champion Alvaro Quiros.
The three were given invitations to the US$2.5 million European Tour event, promoted and organised by golf in DUBAi, for their performances on the MENA Golf Tour Order of Merit.
“Playing in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic will be just awesome," said 21 year old Shepherd, who took the MENA Golf Tour Order of Merit title with total earnings of US$17,749, ahead of Richardson (US$15,087) and McNamara (US$13,271).
“I thoroughly enjoyed playing on the MENA Tour, which was professionally run. The money was good and so was the competition. The fact that it attracted entries from different parts of the world shows the tour is up there with the best.
“With the top three professionals getting a chance to play in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, we couldn’t have asked for more. That's a huge bonus,” added Shepherd, who defeated McNamara in a play-off to win the Tour Championship, the fourth and concluding event on the MENA Golf Tour.
"I do feel a bit disappointed (to have lost the play-off), but I have achieved what I wanted to – an invitation to the Omega Dubai Desert Classic,” said McNamara. “This is the biggest prize I have won since turning pro in January last year. So no regrets.”
Peter Richardson, who won the third and penultimate event on the MENA Golf Tour at Al Badia Golf Club, said: “Everything about it was just great. I am enjoyed playing on it and I believe that was the case with every player. Now it’s time to make our presence felt in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.”
The top three players were also invited to compete in the Final Stage of the Asian Tour Qualifying School, but none was able to capitalise.
Mohamed Juma Buamaim, Vice Chairman and CEO of golf in DUBAi, said: “The MENA Golf Tour is open to both professionals and amateurs and, therefore, has a unique appeal to it. Money is one thing. They offer an opportunity to play golf at the highest level (the Omega Dubai Desert Classic) and this exemption on the Asian Tour Q-School is an added bonus.
“The tour will, hopefully, encourage more people to take up golf, because if they can see people they know playing, it’s so much easier to relate to that than watching big players like Tiger Woods or Lee Westwood.”
