Wood Back To Pick-Up From Where He Left Off

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It is a case of former Ryder Cup star Chris Wood returning to the MENA Tour and looking to pick-up from where he left off.

The current MENA Tour No. 2 heads the field contesting the Egypt Golf Series Marassi 1 at the Address Marassi Golf Resort and the second event on the inagurual MENA Tour Eqypt Golf Series.

Wood, who won the Rolear Algarve Classic in December before taking a break over Christmas, arrives at the stunning Mediterranean coastal venue sitting second in the Order of Merit on 20,520 points – just over 1,000 behind new leader Ludovico Addabbo of Italy.

The 38-year-old, who represented Europe in the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine, is refreshed and ready to reclaim top spot after using his time away to recharge with his young family.

“The break of Christmas was really good, actually. I found a really nice balance between having a break and still practising, because I didn’t want to take my foot off it completely,” said Wood. “Our twins are nearly two now, so they’re just getting to the stage where they can open presents at Christmas – although they’re still far more interested in the wrapping paper! It was lovely. Christmas with kids is special, and it’s great to come back out here in shorts when the weather at home is awful.”

Wood will play both Address Marassi events before heading to the Qatar Masters on the DP World Tour, with Morocco’s Al Houara Classc and Hilton Classic also on his radar as he looks to build momentum in the early part of the season.

“I’m playing the two events here in Egypt and then heading to Qatar for the Qatar Masters. After that I’ll probably go to Morocco and just try to get myself into contention again here first and build some momentum,” he added.

On the Address Marassi course, Wood said: “I’ve played six holes so far and it felt quite long yesterday afternoon with a bit of rain and a pretty strong wind. It might play differently as the week goes on because the forecast looks better. It’s a resort-style course with a lot of drivers off the tee and fairly soft greens. Once I see the front nine properly, I’d imagine there will be some low scores around.”

Addabbo moved to the top of the standings following a consistent Egypt Golf Series New Giza where he finished tied seventh at nine under par – his third consecutive top-ten finish of the season. The 27-year-old, who announced his arrival on the professional scene with a wire-to-wire victory at the PGA Aroeira Challenge in November, now has 21,550 points from three events.

“It feels really good to arrive here leading the rankings. It’s the result of three solid tournaments, so it’s definitely a nice feeling and a good reward for the work I’ve been putting in,” said Addabbo. “I’ve only played seven holes so far, but the course already looks pretty tough. With the wind it can be really challenging, and there are some long holes where you have to hit good drivers. There’s water everywhere, so you need to be smart and safe off the tee and then play from there. It’s demanding, but I think it could suit my game – we’ll see how it plays over the week.”

Hot on their heels is Finland’s Lauri Ruuska, who stormed to victory at New Giza with a sensational final-round 62 to win his first tournament since September. The Finn’s dramatic come-from-behind triumph – he was seven shots off the pace entering the final day – catapulted him to third in the MENA Golf Tour Rankings on 18,000 points from a single event.

“Of course, winning last week gives me a lot of confidence coming into this one. It’s always much more comfortable to tee it up when you’ve just had a win, and you feel good about your game,” said Ruuska. “My game plan this week is pretty simple. The course is different to last week, but I’m not trying to change too much. I just want to stick to what I’ve been doing and maybe hole a few more putts if I can.”

Scotland’s Aidan O’Hagan, who finished runner-up to Wood at the Rolear Algarve Classic in December, sits fourth in the standings on 16,260 points. The Scot endured a tough week at New Giza but will be determined to bounce back on the Mediterranean coast.

Egyptian amateurs Aly Fahmy and Ibrahim Ezzat are among the home players hoping to make their mark against the professionals this week.

“I’m here with my friend Ibrahim Ezzat, and we’re two amateurs from Egypt trying to compete with the pros on the MENA Golf Tour,” said Fahmy. “It means a lot to be teeing it up on the MENA Golf Tour. I have a huge amount of respect for the professionals we’re playing against, and hopefully we can showcase our talent, learn from the experience, and put together a good round or two.

“This course is very different from last week and a lot trickier. There’s a lot of water and a lot of trouble out there, so it’s really all about course management. Last week the course was wider and more forgiving, but this one is much narrower and punishes bad shots. The wind makes it even more challenging, so you really have to stay patient and pick your moments.”

The Egypt Golf Series Marassi 1 is the second of four consecutive MENA Golf Tour events in Egypt, with USD $100,000 in prize money and Official World Golf Ranking points on offer. The Tour returns to Address Marassi for a second event (29-31 January) before concluding the Egypt swing at Madinaty Golf Club in Cairo (3-5 February).

The first round begins on Saturday 24 January.

MENA GOLF TOUR RANKINGS (following Egypt Golf Series New Giza)

  1. Ludovico Addabbo (ITA) – 21,550 points (3 events)
  2. Chris Wood (ENG) – 20,520 points (2 events)
  3. Lauri Ruuska (FIN) – 18,000 points (1 event)
  4. Aidan O’Hagan (SCO) – 16,260 points (3 events)
  5. Pedro Figueiredo (POR) – 13,400 points (2 events)

For more information please visit: www.menagolftour.com



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