Four hopefuls share lead

MUSCAT: The fiercely competitive and unpredictable nature of the European Challenge Tour was proven on Day One of the prestigious NBO Golf Classic Grand Final with four players, who are all outside the top 20 on the Road to Oman, sharing the lead at the spectacular Al Mouj Golf in Muscat.

Adrian Meronk, Nick Cullen, Estanislao Goya and Oscar Lengden all shot five-under par to top the leaderboard on a dramatic opening day in Oman. Each player has so much at stake in this climax to the Challenge Tour season to make it into the sought-after top 15 in the Rankings, to qualify to play on the 2018 European Tour International Schedule.

Poland’s Meronk, who is currently 33rd in the Road to Oman after a runner-up finish in last week’s Ras Al Khaimah Golf Challenge, was delighted with his display on the wonderful Greg Norman-designed Al Mouj Golf layout. “It’s a pretty tough golf course, so you have to play really well, especially around the greens,” said the 23-year-old. “Hitting a lot of fairways was the key for me and I also holed a few good putts. Overall it was a very solid display.

“Last week’s result (finishing second in Ras Al Khaimah) was the best performance of my career so far and, hopefully, this week will be another good one for me.”

Although Australian co-leader Cullen has experience competing on some of the biggest tournaments in golf, such as The Open Championship, on multiple occasions, he felt the immense pressure of the Challenge Tour Grand Finale but handled it in exemplary fashion. “I’m happy that I played really solid golf in the opening round of this crucial week for me,” said the 33-year-old. “Although I have played in Majors and WGCs I don’t think that any of that will help this week.

“The pressure is huge and there are so many really good players with lots of young guys coming through. So it’s really tough out there and I’m just trying to play as well as I can.”

The top three in the Challenge Tour Rankings are still within striking distance of the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final leaders at this early stage after they all finished under par. Tapio Pulkkanen and Julien Guerrier are both sitting in tied 27th on one-under, whereas Aaron Rai, who earlier this year won three times on the Challenge Tour to graduate on to the European Tour, is only one stroke off the lead on four-under. The Englishman will be disappointed with his bogey on the 18th to conclude his round but he knows there’s plenty of golf to be played on his mission to be crowned the 2017 Road to Oman Champion.

The most dramatic moment from the opening day came when Chase Koepka, the younger brother of Major champion Brooks Koepka, took 11 strokes on the par five 7th hole. Up to this point Chase, who is currently seventh on the Road to Oman, was one of the front runners with three birdies from his first six holes but that soon changed after his setback on the 7th that could cost him a place in the top 15 on the conclusion to Challenge Tour to secure his full European Tour playing privileges for next season.

Plenty more drama is expected in this season-ending event in Oman with any one of the 45 players in the field still capable of making the top 15 and earning their elevation to the European Tour.