The Peninsula
Doha-based Mikkel Mathiesen of Denmark emerged as winner in the Qatar Open Amateur Championship here yesterday.
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@In the professional category, Poland’s Adrian Meronk topped to qualify for next month European Tour sanctioned Qatar Masters tournament, which will be held at the Doha Golf Club (DGC).
Also qualifying along with Meronk for the Qatar Masters were Niclas Johansson of Sweden and Mike Toorop of Netherlands along with two other amateur players Jordan’s Shergo Al Kurdi and England’s William Shucksmith, besides the amateur winner
Yesterday at the DGC, Mathiesen, the 18-year-old Dane, a student of Doha College who performed consistently over the last three days carded a score of 70 with a birdie and a bogey to earn a seven-shot victory. He aggregated one-under 215, with the next closest player, Shucksmith, at six-over.
For Mathiesen, the DGC greens has been a familiar place for over a decade.
As a junior member at DGC, he got his first golf lessons under different coaches at the DGC course and had won many tournament representing the club and yesterday the Dane took it to another level by topping in the amateur section.
The promising teenager is now looking forward to playing in the Qatar Masters. “The field was very strong this year as there were 22 professionals. I know so many of these guys they are good golfers and to beat them and to come out as No. 1 gives a me lot of confidence before the Qatar Masters,” Mathiesen said.
Reflecting on his performance on the final day of the event he said: “I had a two-shot lead to start the day and I did not really give up. I am happy with my win. It is a big win for me. To win one of the two big tournaments in Qatar is a big thing,” said the amateur, who recently secured a golf scholarship in the USA and will start at Wright State University in Dublin Ohio in September this year.
The 100-odd golfers included 22 professional, three of them qualifying for the Qatar Masters.
“I played really well from the beginning and the final rounds were the toughest day for sure and I tried to stay focused and patience,” said the 24-year-old Meronk.
Qatar’s Saleh Al Kaabi finished sixth in the amateur section and qualified along with Ali Al Sharshani and Jaham Al Kuwari for the Qatar Masters.
The winners, in both the professional and amateur category, will get air tickets from Royal Air Moroc.. The top three finishers in the professional section got cash awards with the winner pocketing QR7000, while the runner-up picked up QR5000 and the third place finisher QR3000.