Rayan Ahmed seizes commanding five-shot lead in Faldo Junior Tour at The Els Club Dubai

UAE’s Rayan Ahmed delivered a masterful performance at The Els Club, Dubai on Monday, to take control of the Faldo Junior Tour and storm to a five-shot lead with just one round to play in the 54-hole championship.

The 18-year-old UAE National Team player carded seven birdies in a sparkling second-round 67 under cloudy Dubai skies, lifting his 36-hole total to seven-under-par 137.

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Ahmed leads from India’s Anurudha Chaudhuri, who posted back-to-back rounds of 71, while the only other player under par is Alexander Rushika (UAE) with 74 and 69 for a 143 total.

With no cut in the event, all players will complete the third and final round tomorrow (Tuesday), with tee times running from 11:18 am to 12:46 pm; the leaders will go out last in threesomes.

Extraordinary round

“I had an extraordinary day with my long game, my drives and approach shots were flush,” Ahmed said after his round. “On the front nine, my shots were all on the pin. My birdie putts on the front nine were mostly tap-ins.”

That front nine was a masterclass. He found the fairways, attacked the greens, and applied pressure that left the rest of the field reeling.

“Tee to green was extremely precise, and it felt great to get my putting back on the front nine,” he said. “That wasn’t luck, I’ve been putting in a lot of work at my home academy, especially on pace control.”

No mercy for mistakes

The back nine, though, provided a startling reminder that golf has no sympathy for a lack of momentum.

“On the 10th hole, I missed a two-footer tap-in and made bogey, and had a three-putt on hole 14 for bogey,” he said. “My approach game was still good. I’ve been playing high-pressure golf nonstop for the past nine days.”

With tournaments coming thick and fast, Ahmed knows fatigue is a real threat. “I’m playing the Tommy Fleetwood Pathway Series presented by DP World supported by the AJGA event right after this tournament with no break,” he said. “So the body is being overworked. One more day to go, I’ll just take it hole by hole.”

Despite the demanding schedule, his appreciation for the Faldo Junior Tour was clear.

Praise for perfect setup

“Credit must go to the organizers for putting together such a strong international field and for the immaculate course setup,” Ahmed added. “The conditions are perfect, but the course is definitely playing tougher than it looks with the wind and the tricky pin positions keeping everyone honest. The greens are just amazing.”

The Faldo Junior Tour is a World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR) qualifier, supported by The R&A, and is open to players aged 13 to 21. Winners in each division will receive invitations to the Faldo Series Grand Final to be held later this season at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club, UAE.

Special thanks go to all tournament sponsors and partners - Qiddiya, The R&A, The Els Club, Dubai Sports City, and the sanctioning by the Emirates Golf Federation (EGF), for supporting junior golf at the highest level.

For live scoring, visit GGID: FJTELS.

Second Round Leaders (Par 72)

Overall
R. Ahmed (UAE) 70, 67 – 137
A. Chaudhuri (India) 71, 71 – 142
A. Rushika (UAE) 74, 69 – 143
L. Salthouse (UK) 74, 70 – 144
A. Larsson (UAE) 73, 72 – 145

Boys 16 & Under: A. Rushika (UAE) 74, 69 – 143
Girls 21 & Under: L. Maturi (UAE) 77, 76 – 153
Girls 16 & Under: A. Chaudhuri (India) 71, 71 – 142