By Kent Gray

It is the dream of many amateurs – the chance to test yourself in a fully fledged professional event. Do you have the mental fortitude, much less the game, to draw it back on the first tee and then make it all the way to the 18th without, you know, embarrassing yourself?

Former Golf Digest Middle East editor Robbie Greenfield got that rare chance in the final round of the MENA Tour’s inaugural Jordan’s Ayla Golf Championship in Aqaba Saturday. Not only did he play as a marker, he did so for former Open champion and Ryder Cupper Darren Clarke.

So how did the seven-handicapper, now one half of Dubai Eye’s Sports Tonight team, fare around Ayla G.C.? We’ll let Clarke take up the story:

One good swing away from taking 100ds off Darren Clarke and this is what happened ?? . #golf #choke #darrenclarke #legend #jordan #aqaba #golfcourse @chrismchardy19 @barrycotter

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Greenfield, ever the good sport, took Clarke’s good natured ribbing on the chin but the #Choke label seems a tad harsh when you sign for an 84, presumably playing off those distant championship tees with little range time to prepare beforehand given all the late nights that go with your day job (reports that Dubai Eye 103.8 Head of Sport Chris McHardy is a whip cracker have yet to be substantiated by Golf Digest Middle East).

It should be noted that Greenfield’s score wasn’t the worse posted in the final round – that unwanted distinction owned by the English professional Joshua Grenville-Wood who had a quintuple bogey nine in his closing 85. It was also an improvement on his 88 the previous day when Greenfield “hit the ball way better” but couldn’t get his putter to cooperate.

He really didn’t have to go to all that trouble @themenatour ? ・・・ HRH Prince Faisal Bin Al Hussein of Jordan watches on as @dubaieyesport @robbie_greenfield makes his debut in a professional golf tournament! @aylaoasis #aylaoasis #aylagolfclub

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We look forward to hearing more from the founding editor who clearly enjoyed the experience. It’s not every day you to play with a major champion after all:

Day two of life “on tour”… and a tee time with an @theopen champion and Ryder Cup legend! . #golf #jordan #darrenclarke #menatour #legend #sport

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As Greenfield said on the eve of arguably the most stressful round of his life, anything under a 100 would do. A collective doff of our cap to you, Robbie. We’re happy for you, but not half as delighted as we are now knowing that you will have to give us a bundle of shots the next time we tee it up. It’s what any self respecting “tour pro” would do.

Nice spot to make my debut in a professional golf tournament tomorrow. Anything under ?is the goal… don’t forget to look over your shoulder @zanescotland ? . #golf #jordan #menatour #golfcourse #aqaba

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