Ultra-talented England amateur Todd Clements continued his impressive run on the MENA Tour, firing a tidy four-under-par 69 in tough windy conditions to join countryman Luke Joy atop the leaderboard after the opening round of the Jordan’s Ayla Golf Championship on Thursday.
The 21-year-old Clements, who boasts two seconds in his last three events, started red hot, notching up three birdies in a row while Joy mixed six birdies and an eagle with four bogeys as English players dominated the opening day’s proceedings, claiming the top four places.
“It’s quite windy out there and it’s difficult (to score). You have to keep your emotions in check. Controlling the flight of the ball is quite important here,” said Clements, who is now 29 under for the last 10 rounds he has played on the MENA Tour.
Luke Joy shares lead in Jordan
“I got off to a nice start and managed to keep the momentum going. I am enjoying my golf and very happy with my efforts. We still have two more rounds to go and we will see how things pan out,” said Clements, the winner of the 2017 English Amateur Championship at The Berkshire in August.
A two-time winner on the tour, Joy was equally pleased with his day’s work. “Holed some nice putts and also left a few, but overall, it was a pretty good round. The course is just awesome and the wind makes it even more challenging,” said Joy who is attached to Yas Links, Abu Dhabi.
“The greens are quite tricky and you are going to miss some, but you have to stay patient. You also need a bit of luck if you aim to score well here,” said Joy, who holed a 54-degree wedge from 97 yards for an eagle two after his tee shot drifted into the rough.
Zane Scotland, a 10-time winner on the tour, carded a solid a 70 that left him alone on third, one shot clear of Lee Corfield as MENA Tour patron Darren Clarke settled for tied 15th after returning a three-over 76.
Scotland flew off the gate in style, making two birdies in a row and ended the round with a flourish when he picked up shots on the 17th and 18th in a bogey-free back nine to return to the clubhouse with a smile lighting up his face.
Clarke was two under early with birdies at his first and third holes but it proved the highwater mark of his round and then dropping shots at four and nine ahead of taking a double-bogey at the 12th and while he birdied 16, the former Open winner tripled the par three, 16th ahead of a fourth birdie of the day at the last.
