SINGAPORE: Othman Almulla showed terrific character as he limped his way through the second round of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC), but managed to dig deep on the back nine and create history by becoming the first player from Saudi Arabia to make the cut in the region’s premier amateur tournament.
On Friday at Sentosa Golf Club’s New Tanjong course, Almulla followed up his solid one-under par 69 in the opening round with a four-over par 74 to safely make the cut by three shots at three-over par 143.
The effort was even more incredible as the 32-year-old Almulla hobbled around the course after developing a painful blister on his left sole.
The Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship is considered one of the five majors for the amateurs and has been awarded the ‘Elite’ status by World Amateur Golf Ranking. Organized by the Masters Tournament and the R&A, the champion in Singapore gets a dream invitation to the Masters next year and a spot at the 148th Open Championship in Royal Portrush.
Almulla was delighted with the way he held on and said: “It’s pretty special to be honest. It was my goal this week to play four solid rounds. And to play four solid rounds, you have to make the cut.
“I didn’t play as good as I would have like today. I got off to a bad start and was four-over par after my first nine holes, but I was very proud of the way I held it together on the back nine. It would have been very easy to make a few more bogeys coming in, but I played well and gave myself a lot of birdie chances.
“I am very encouraged with the way I have played the first two days and I guess it is now a case of pushing myself and seeing how high I can go in the leaderboard.”
Almulla refused to blame the blister for his poor front nine effort.
“I wish I could use the blister as an excuse, but that really wasn’t the case. My body is used to heat, but I guess not the type of heat we have here in Singapore. It did not hurt much when I was swinging, but it was definitely painful to walk,” he added.
Asked what plans he had for the weekend, Almulla said: “I know there are some good scores out there.
“I hit only three greens on the front nine today and missed it on the wrong spots. That’s something you just can’t do on this golf course. Over the last two rounds, the one thing I really want to do is hit more greens.”
Almulla was hopeful that his performance here would create more awareness for the game back home, especially among children.
“We have had a few good players from Saudi before, but I think what we now have is some very good support system back home,” he added.
“I am happy to make some history for my country but what would give me more satisfaction is if I can motivate a few youngsters to take up the game thinking that if I can do it, so can they. That would be the best outcome of my efforts here.”
Almulla is scheduled to play the Pan Arab Championship in Tunisia next week.
Othman Almulla digs deep to be first Saudi Arabian golfer to make the cut at AAC in Singapore
Othman Almulla digs deep to be first Saudi Arabian golfer to make the cut at AAC in Singapore
Zemmer fires 7-birdie round to lead Hilton Classic in Morocco
- 5-under round leaves Zimmer 1 shot ahead of compatriot Matteo Cristoni as Italy dominates early leaderboard
TANGIER: Italy’s Aron Zemmer produced a composed and clinical display to card a five-under-par opening round and claim the first-round lead at the Hilton Classic here on Monday.
Zemmer’s compatriot Matteo Cristoni was just one shot behind, giving the Azzurri a strong early lead at the second event of the MENA Golf Tour’s Morocco Series at Al-Houara Golf Club in Tangier.
Zemmer, who started from the 10th tee, carded seven birdies against two bogeys in strong, swirling wind that made scoring difficult throughout the field.
He birdied three consecutive holes from the third before adding another at the ninth to make the turn four-under, and despite dropping shots at 11 and 12, responded with birdies at 15 and 18 to sign for a 67.
Despite a three-putt early in his round, Zemmer was in good spirits, riding the confidence of a strong performance at last week’s Al -Houara Classic. “To make seven birdies in those conditions is very pleasing,” Zemmer said.
“I came into the week feeling confident after playing well last week, and my iron play was solid which allowed me to go at a few pins. I made a small adjustment to my putting setup which definitely helped today.”
Also starting from the 10th, Cristoni was equally impressive, making birdies at 10 and 13 before picking up further shots at the third, fourth and sixth on the front nine. A sole bogey at the seventh was the only blemish on a four-under 68.
Ireland’s Alex Maguire shares second place on four-under par after a round that featured arguably the shot of the day, an eagle at the par-five 15th alongside four birdies.
Maguire admitted he had been hard on himself after a disappointing finish at last week’s Al-Houara Classic but found inspiration on the morning of his round from a fellow Irishman, Ryder Cup star Shane Lowry.
Lowry’s widely-reported interview about throwing away a three-shot lead down the stretch at the Cognizant Classic on the PGA Tour struck a chord. “It was very, very gusty and in many ways it felt like it got harder as the round went on,” Maguire said.
“The front nine was more constant, you could read the wind and commit to a number, but on the back nine it became really unpredictable. It’s much more about feel and experience in these conditions.
“The first thing I saw this morning was Shane Lowry talking about going through something similar at a much bigger event and saying you’ve just got to keep teeing it up and not dwell on it.
“It helped me stop feeling sorry for myself and just get on with it, and I think that showed today.”
Four players share fourth place on three-under par: France’s Pierre Pineau, Scotland’s Sebastian Sandin, England’s Curtis Knipes and Pakistan’s Aadam Syed.
Pineau, who chipped in twice on what he described as two of the toughest holes on the course, credited his experience of playing in Ireland and Scotland for helping him handle the breeze.
“My driving was especially solid and I played very well tee to green,” Pineau said. “Having played so many tournaments in Ireland and Scotland, I’m used to these kinds of conditions.”
Knipes, who felt he benefited from the draw as the wind eased later in his round, was encouraged by his form heading into the second day.
“The wind was pumping and swirling at times but my game feels in a better spot than last week,” he said. “When you look at the scoring overall it’s a very good round in those conditions.”
Seven players are tied for eighth on two-under par: Toby Hunt (Wales), Haiko Dana (Spain), Alfonso Buendia (Spain), Michael Stewart (Scotland), Zubair Firdaus (Malaysia), Brody Harbinson (Australia) and Andoni Etchenique (France).
Ayoub Lguirati was the highest-placed Moroccan, the home favorite carding a level-par round to share 18th position and keeping local interest alive in the tournament.
Round two takes place on Tuesday, with the final round on Wednesday. The Hilton Classic has a prize fund of $100,000 and awards Official World Golf Ranking points.
