Paul Doherty birdied the final hole to clinch the MENA Golf Tour’s Royal D’Anfa Open in Casablanca, Morocco.
One off the pace overnight, the Scotsman closed with a bogey-free 69 to reach 13-under for the tournament, beating his closest rival and overnight leader Lee Corfield of England by a good two shots.
England’s Ross McGowan, who won last week’s MENA Golf Tour event in Rabat, settled for solo third on 10-under after a final round 70, one ahead of Morocco’s Joudar had the consolation of winning the Shaikh Maktoum Golf Foundation Award for being the best professional in the MENA region.
“Winning my first event on the MENA Golf Tour is a massive achievement. I am really delighted with the way I have played,” said Doherty after receiving the winner’s trophy and a cheque for $9,000 from Hicham Gherbi, secretary-general of the Royal Golf D’Anfa Golf Club Mohammedia.
Mohamed Juma Buamaim, chairman of the MENA Golf Tour, and Imad Boufarik, director of Royal Golf D’Anfa Mohammedia, were also present.
Scotland’s Paul Doherty receiving the winner’s trophy from Hicham Gherbi, secretary-general of Royal Golf D’Anfa Mohammedia, as Mohamed Juma Buamaim, chairman of the MENA Golf Tour, and Imad Boufarik, director of Royal Golf D’Anfa Mohammedia, look on
“I played the final round without dropping a shot, which I think, is a massive thing. Obviously, the pressure of playing in the final group is always there, but I stuck to what I have been doing all week and feels good about getting the job done,” said the 30-year-old from Glasgow, who turned professional in 2006.
“This my second win as a professional following the one on the Jamega Tour in England in 2010 and look forward to playing in the remaining events on the (MENA) tour,” said Doherty, who birdied the 12th, 14th and the 16th to break clear England’s Corfield had his chances, but a double-bogey on the 13th proved costly as he returned a final round level-par 72, missing out on what would have been Morocco’s Joudar was pleased with his best finish on the tour.
“I was a little bit nervous out there, but managed to keep my keep my nerves under control when “Barring a wayward drive which resulted in a double bogey on the 16th, I think I played really well. Overall, a super day for me,” said 41-year-old from Rabat.
England’s James Alllan led from start to finish to win the amateur division on four- under after closing with a level-par 72, four shots ahead of Switzerland’s Michael South Africa’s Thriston Arthur Lawrence, tied for 19th overnight on one under, made the biggest move of the day, firing a superb 65 – the best score of the tournament — to finish strongly in a tie for the fourth on eight under.
Seven birdies, including five in a row from the fifth, on the front nine highlighted stunning efforts from the 18-year-old prodigy from Nelspruit, near Kruger National “I struck the ball really well and, more importantly, made some nice putts which was the key,” said Lawrence, who was playing in only his second MENA Golf The MENA Golf Tour resumes after a summer break when the Dubai Creek Open gets under way on September 14.
