Muscat: Antonio Arjona Bueno rattled off six birdies on his last eight holes to card a five-under-par 65 at the Mena Golf Tour’s Ghala Valley Open on Monday.
That solid birdie-streak was enough to give the 27-year-old Spaniard a one-shot lead over England’s Matt Turner, who incidentally also ended his round with a flourish, rolling in six birdies in a row from the 13th, and Zane Scotland, who played solid golf as ever.
Pakistan’s Shafiq Masih and the English duo of Chris Lloyd and Chris McDonnell shared the fourth a further shot adrift on a 69 on a hot and humid day that saw 11 players break par.
Michael Harradine of Switzerland and Daniel Kay of Scotland shot matching level-par 72s to share the lead in the amateur division, one ahead of Morocco’s Mehdi Saissi and England’s Craig Vance as Order of Merit leader James Allan returned a 75.
Faycal Serghini spearheaded the Moroccan charge in the Mena Division for the Shaikh Maktoum Golf Foundation, carding a two-under 70, a good three shots ahead of compatriots Ahmad-Reda Rhazali, Amine Joudar, Mahdi Saissi (amateur) and Ahmad Marjane, the winner of the Ras Al Khaimah Classic.
Serghini, who flew in just hours before his tee time, said he couldn’t have asked for a better round after a sleepless night. “I have started off well and let’s see how things shape up. I am striking the ball well which is good.”
Elsewhere, England’s Joshua White, who finished runner-up to Monaco’s Sandro Piaget here last year, carded a 73 while his countryman John Singleton, who qualified for the Open Championship earlier this year, settled for a 77.
