Englishman Max Williams eagled the 18th hole to roar into a four-way share of the lead after the opening round of the MENA Tour’s Ras Al Khaimah Classic on Monday.
A 9-iron to six feet on the last secured Williams’ second eagle on a day of low scoring at Tower Links as countrymen Daniel Owen and Paul Dwyer and Spaniard Francisco Perez also signed for 66s to top the leaderboard at six under.
The quartet combined for 23 birdied and four eagles – including another brace of eagles by Owen – against just seven bogeys.
“I played really well and very pleased with my day’s work. The course is just fantastic and in great condition,” said Williams (pictured) who had earlier eagled the par 5 5th.
“It’s always nice to get an eagle, let alone two. Just kind of everything fell together, ball striking, putting and ball control.”
Bahrain-based Owen lit up his opening round with five birdies and two eagles (on the 5th and the 13th) against three bogeys to put himself in contention for his maiden MENA Tour win. Dwyer rattled off three birdies in a row to start his round and kept the momentum rolling with a solitary bogey the only blemish. Perez picked up eight shots, including five on the front nine, against two bogeys on a day when 34 players broke par.
Englishman Lee Corfield overcame an bogey on the 1st to card a four-under 68 which left the four-time MENA Tour winner in a seven-way tie for sixth. Defending order of merit champion Craig Hinton shared 13th a further shot adrift in a four-man group which included Spain’s Leo Lilja, the winner of the season-opening Palmeraie Country Club Casablanca Open in March.
Among other notable scoces, Welsh ace and European Senior Tour player Stephen Dodd carded a 70 while England’s Andrew Marshall returned a 71.
Switzerland’s Dubai-based Michael Harradine rolled in three birdies on the back nine after making the turn at two over to hit the front in the amateur division on a 71, two shots ahead of a four-man group that includes Qatar’s Saleh Al Kaabi.
