Andrew Redington/Getty Images
Romain Wattel of France plays his shot from the 7th tee on the opening day of the 31st  Omega Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club. 

By Joy Chakravaty
Romain Wattel was the last of the six MENA Tour by Arena players to qualify for this week’s OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic. By the end of the opening round, the Frenchman was first among those proudly flying the regional developmental circuit’s flag at the $3.25 million event.

A round of two-under-par 70 in Thursday’s extremely testy conditions left the 29-year-old just three strokes off the lead, held by his playing partner Thomas’ Pieters, and dreaming of a second European Tour win.

MG Keyser, the 2019 Professional ‘Journey to Jordan’ champion, was also inside the cutline after the first round with a two-over-par 74. It could have been a much better result for the South African but for an unfortunate triple-bogey seven on the 9th hole after making an excellent start.

Josh Hill, the reigning amateur MENA Tour champion, struggled with his driving and the brutal rough took a toll on his scorecard with six bogeys against a solitary birdie in a 77. At five-over-par, the 15-year-old world record holder for being the youngest player to win an OWGR recognised event was in tied 101st place. Elsewhere, Australian Daniel Gaunt shot a 78, England’s Harry Konig 80 and Saudi Arabia’s Othman Almulla 83.

Wattel is no stranger to Emirates Golf Club or the ODDC, having finished tied third here alongside now world No.1 Brooks Koepka in the 2014 edition. He’s also won on the European Tour before, at the 2017 KLM Open, but needed to win last week’s 36-hole Arena ShootOut at Al Hamra Golf Club to punch his return ticket to the Majlis.

So far, he’s making the most of a big opportunity, draining a 20-foot birdie putt on the par-4th 9th to close out a round where many others faltered. Playing at .56 of a stroke over par, the lengthened 9th was the toughest hole on Thursday.

“I love Dubai and this tournament,” Wattel said afterwards. “I made Dubai my home for four years and I have a good idea of this golf course. However, the conditions were really tough out there today with the wind and the rough. I am very happy with the way I played.

“I drove the ball really well, and when I needed to make some putts, I made them.”

At one point, Keyser was one of only two players from the morning groups to be in red numbers for the front nine, which was playing decidedly tougher. That was until that triple-bogey disaster on the aforementioned 9th.

“I just pulled my drive and was in the rough. I thought I could muscle it out and just aim for the grandstand to avoid the water and I could have taken a drop and tried to save a par. But the club just closed on me and I found the hazard,” said Keyser, who is making his Desert Classic debut. “I definitely played much better than what my score suggests. I am actually satisfied with a two-over-par card because the conditions were very tough.”

Hill plays his second shot on the par-4 2nd under the watchful eye of caddie Steven Kelbrick. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

Hill missed a four-foot par putt on the second for his first bogey of the day, but most of his mistakes happened when he missed fairways off the tee.

“I really had a poor day with my driving. I found only three fairways and it was very difficult to hit out of the rough,” said Hill, winner of the Al Ain Open by Arena last October. “It was another good learning experience, but I hope I can sort out my driving tomorrow. I know I can score much better than this.”

Meanwhile, there were two wins in two weeks for the Jimenez family with Miguel Angel Jimenez Junior winning the MENA Tour by Arena Qualifying School A in Jordan.

Dad Miguel Angel Jimenez, winner of last week’s Mitsubishi Electric Championship on the PGA Tour Champions, is at the Desert Classic and was delighted to learn about his son after carding an impressive even-par round himself.

Jimenez Jr made two eagles in the third and final round at Ayla Golf Club for a six-under-par 66 to clinch medallist honours by three shots on nine-under-par 207.