DUBAI: Craig Hinton has made significant strides up the MENA Golf Tour’s Order of Merit following his wire-to-wire victory at the Ascorp Golf Citizen Abu Dhabi Open at Yas Links last week.
The 27-year-old Englishman earned $9,000 for his sterling effort, moving into the second spot in the standings with $28,173 in his kitty as England's Zane Scotland ($31,117) continued to maintain his top position after finishing tied fourth.
With this convincing win, his second on the MENA Golf Tour this season, Hinton has climbed to career-high 769th spot in the latest Official World Golf Rankings after sitting at No. 1,711 at the start of the season — a dramatic improvement of 942 places.
With two more events to go before the season-ending Tour Championship gets under way in three weeks time, the Thame native will be hoping to break into the world’s top-500 and end a fantastic season of golf on a high.
The top three professionals on the Order of Merit along with the leading amateur will be invited to compete in the 2017 Omega Dubai Desert Classic in February in addition to earning full-time playing privileges on the Sunshine Tour and exemptions into the Final Stage of the Asian Tour Q-School.
Hinton is followed by his fellow Englishmen Andrew Marshall ($26,962) and Luke Joy ($22,414) in the Order of Merit standings as the MENA Golf Tour reaches its business end.
Meanwhile, India’s Rayhan Thomas, who created history at the Dubai Creek Open, becoming the first amateur to win a MENA Golf Tour event, has assured himself of winning the leading amateur title — and a place in the starting line-up of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.
With 297 points to his credit, the 16-year-old prodigy, who ranked 131st in World Amateur Golf Ranking, currently leads the race miles ahead of his nearest challengers while the race for the leading MENA professional and amateur will go down to the wire.
The Moroccan trio of Younes El Hassani ($5,436), Faycal Serghini ($3,314) and Ahmed Marjan ($2,592) are locked in a neck and neck battle at the top and so are the Saudi amateurs Othman Almulla (81 points) and Khaled Atieh (52).
Almulla, who emerged as the leading MENA amateur in the last four events, is in no mood to take the foot off the pedal as he aims to make a strong statement about competitive fire in the region’s golf.
The MENA Golf Tour will travel to Kuwait City next week for the first time for the Sahara Kuwait Championship to be held at Sahara Golf and Country Club from Oct. 17 to 19.
Held under the auspices of the Shaikh Maktoum Golf Foundation and affiliated to the Arab Golf Federation and the R&A, the MENA Golf Tour has grown from strength to strength boasting 16 events in the 2016 season, marking a major step forward from inaugural season in 2011 when it featured four events.
Current Order of Merit standings:
Professionals:
1.Zane Scotland (England) $31,117 (Dh114284)
2.Craig Hinton (England) $28,173
3.Andrew Marshall (England) $26,962
4.Luke Joy (England) $22,414
5.Antonio Costa (Chile) $20,296
6.Fredrik Lindblom (Sweden) $13,913
7.Lee Corfield (England) $12,250
8.Wolmer Murillo (Venezuela) $11,400
9.Scott Campbell (England) $11,177
10.Adam Sagar (England) $10,265
Amateurs:
1.Rayhan Thomas (India) 297 points
2.Benjamin David (England) 124
3.Edward Holland (England) 114
T-4. Othman Almulla (Saudi Arabia) 111
T-4 Daniel Hendry (Scotland) 111
The 27-year-old Englishman earned $9,000 for his sterling effort, moving into the second spot in the standings with $28,173 in his kitty as England's Zane Scotland ($31,117) continued to maintain his top position after finishing tied fourth.
With this convincing win, his second on the MENA Golf Tour this season, Hinton has climbed to career-high 769th spot in the latest Official World Golf Rankings after sitting at No. 1,711 at the start of the season — a dramatic improvement of 942 places.
With two more events to go before the season-ending Tour Championship gets under way in three weeks time, the Thame native will be hoping to break into the world’s top-500 and end a fantastic season of golf on a high.
The top three professionals on the Order of Merit along with the leading amateur will be invited to compete in the 2017 Omega Dubai Desert Classic in February in addition to earning full-time playing privileges on the Sunshine Tour and exemptions into the Final Stage of the Asian Tour Q-School.
Hinton is followed by his fellow Englishmen Andrew Marshall ($26,962) and Luke Joy ($22,414) in the Order of Merit standings as the MENA Golf Tour reaches its business end.
Meanwhile, India’s Rayhan Thomas, who created history at the Dubai Creek Open, becoming the first amateur to win a MENA Golf Tour event, has assured himself of winning the leading amateur title — and a place in the starting line-up of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.
With 297 points to his credit, the 16-year-old prodigy, who ranked 131st in World Amateur Golf Ranking, currently leads the race miles ahead of his nearest challengers while the race for the leading MENA professional and amateur will go down to the wire.
The Moroccan trio of Younes El Hassani ($5,436), Faycal Serghini ($3,314) and Ahmed Marjan ($2,592) are locked in a neck and neck battle at the top and so are the Saudi amateurs Othman Almulla (81 points) and Khaled Atieh (52).
Almulla, who emerged as the leading MENA amateur in the last four events, is in no mood to take the foot off the pedal as he aims to make a strong statement about competitive fire in the region’s golf.
The MENA Golf Tour will travel to Kuwait City next week for the first time for the Sahara Kuwait Championship to be held at Sahara Golf and Country Club from Oct. 17 to 19.
Held under the auspices of the Shaikh Maktoum Golf Foundation and affiliated to the Arab Golf Federation and the R&A, the MENA Golf Tour has grown from strength to strength boasting 16 events in the 2016 season, marking a major step forward from inaugural season in 2011 when it featured four events.
Current Order of Merit standings:
Professionals:
1.Zane Scotland (England) $31,117 (Dh114284)
2.Craig Hinton (England) $28,173
3.Andrew Marshall (England) $26,962
4.Luke Joy (England) $22,414
5.Antonio Costa (Chile) $20,296
6.Fredrik Lindblom (Sweden) $13,913
7.Lee Corfield (England) $12,250
8.Wolmer Murillo (Venezuela) $11,400
9.Scott Campbell (England) $11,177
10.Adam Sagar (England) $10,265
Amateurs:
1.Rayhan Thomas (India) 297 points
2.Benjamin David (England) 124
3.Edward Holland (England) 114
T-4. Othman Almulla (Saudi Arabia) 111
T-4 Daniel Hendry (Scotland) 111
