Spaniard Sizzles On Opening Day Of MENA’s Ghala Valley Open.

Spain’s Antonio Arjona Bueno rattled off six birdies on his last eight holes to card a five-under-par 65 at the MENA Golf Tour’s Ghala Valley Open on Monday.

That solid birdie-streak was enough to give the 27-year-old Spaniard a one-shot lead over England’s Matt Turner, who incidentally also ended his round with a flourish, rolling in six birdies in a row from the13th, and Zane Scotland, who played solid golf as ever.

Pakistan’s Shafiq Masih and the English duo of Chris Lloyd and Chris McDonnell shared the fourth a further shot adrift on a 69 on a hot and humid day that saw 11 players break par.

Michael Harradine of Switzerland and Daniel Kay of Scotland shot matching level-par 72s to share the lead in the amateur division, one ahead of Morocco’s Mehdi Saissi and England’s Craig Vance as Order of Merit leader James Allan returned a 75.

Spain's Faycal Serghini sizzles on the opening day in Muscat.

Spain’s Faycal Serghini sizzles on the opening day in Muscat.

Spain's Faycal Serghini sizzles on the opening day in Muscat.

Faycal Serghini spearheaded the Moroccan charge in the MENA Division for the Shaikh Maktoum Golf Foundation, carding a two-under 70, a good three shots ahead of compatriots Ahmed-Reda Rhazali, Amine Joudar, Mehdi Saissi (amateur) and Ahmed Marjane, the winner of the Ras Al Khaimah Classic.

Serghini, who flew in just hours before his tee time, said he couldn’t have asked for a better round after a sleepless night. “I have started off well and let’s see how things shape up. I am striking the ball well which helped.”

Elsewhere, England’s Joshua White, who finished runner up to Monaco’s Sandro Piaget here last year, carded a 73 while his countryman John Singleton, who qualified for the Open Championship earlier this year, settled England’s Scotland mixed six birdies with a double bogey in his opening round.

“I felt like I played well except for one hole (the par-4, seventh) where I had a bad lie and ended up dropping two shots,” he said.

Pakistan’s Masih said he drove the ball well and his approach shots were on target. “I should have been four-under, but three putted on the closing hole from 10 feet,” said Masih, who hit 14 greens in regulation.

“The course offers plenty of scoring opportunities, especially on the back nine,” said Masih, the winner of the 2012 American Express Dirab Golf Championship.

Meanwhile, the MENA Golf Tour held a clinic for young enthusiasts at the Driving Range of Ghala Valley Golf Club, featuring instruction and exhibitions by leading professionals which included England’s Lee Corfield and John Singleton, Scotland’s Tom Buchanan and Morocco’s Amine Joudar.

Leading first round scores (par-72):

67 – Antonio Arjona Bueno (Spain)

68 – Matt Turner (England), Zane Scotland (England)

69 – Shafiq Masih (Pakistan), Chris Lloyd (England), Chris McDonnell (England)

70 – Xavier Puig (Spain), Faycal Serghini

71 – Karl Ableidinger (Austria), Sam Kiloh (Scotland), Jeremy Kavanagh (England)

72 – Michael Harradine (amateur-Switzerland), Tom Buchanan (Scotland), Juan Salcedo (Mexico), Christopher Cannon (England), Daniel Kay (amateur-Scotland), Matthew Swales (England).



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