MENA Tour's third edition set to tee-off

Dubai - The 'Gulf Swing' will have stops in UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman.

The MENA Golf Tour resumes in September after a long summer break with the third edition of the Dubai Creek Open where England's Luke Joy will defend his title.
The 'Gulf Swing,' as the second leg of the demanding golfing odyssey is fondly referred to, will have stops in UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman before the field is whittled down to top 40 professionals and 15 leading amateurs from their respective Orders of Merit for the season-ending Tour Championship to be held in November at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting and Golf Club.
Anticipation is running high ahead of the Dubai Creek Open, starting on September 13, as a full field has already signed up for what promises to be an absorbing affair.
The entries for the event, which can accommodate a maximum of 120 golfers, wear a global look with golfers from 24 countries represented in the field. The English players top the chart with 30 entries, followed by Spain and Morocco (11 each).
The event has also attracted the likes of Morocco's Ahmed Marjane, the first Arab winner on the tour, England's Jake Shepherd, who won the inaugural MENA Golf Tour Order of Merit title in 2011, Sandro Piaget of Monaco, Shafiq Masih of Pakistan and Spain's Carlos Balmaseda among others who all fancy their chances of spinning out some surprise results.
Of the 31 events played so far on the MENA Golf Tour since its inception in 2011, the English players have enjoyed the lion's share of success, winning 21 times, thanks to Zane Scotland who alone accounts for a record nine titles.
Scotland, who won the inaugural Dubai Creek Open in 2013, has also confirmed to join the starting line-up along with compatriot Joshua White, the winner of tour's Order of Merit in 2014, as entries close on August 31.
The amateur division will see a record seven golfers from India, including tour regular Rayhan Thomas, join the field, hoping to make inroads into a territory dominated by the Moroccan and English players.
Celebrated Moroccan duo of Marjane and Faycal Serghini will lead the region's challenge in the Shaikh Maktoum Golf Foundation Division, which recognises the performance of the top three Arab professionals and amateurs from their respective divisions.