Kuwait City: Joe Heraty kept his composure, notwithstanding his father’s illness, to win the inaugural Sahara Kuwait Championship at the Mena Golf Tour’s inaugural event in the city on Wednesday.
The 25-year-old Englishman closed with a bogey-free five-under 65 to finish at 13-under par, two clear of his compatriot Daniel Owen, who signed for a fantastic six-under 64 to climb up the leaderboard.
It was Chile’s Matias Calderon, who made the biggest move, firing a brilliant 62 that matched the course record set on Monday by Heraty as he shared the leading amateur award with Brazil’s Tiago Lobo.
In a reflection on the rising standards of amateurs on the MENA Golf Tour, the South American duo joined England’s Jordan Garnish in a tie for third on 10-under.
Heraty, whose father was diagnosed with brain tumour last week, took centrestage with a flawless round to get over the line for his maiden win on the MENA Golf Tour. “This is for you, Dad,” an emotional Heraty said after receiving the winner’s trophy and a cheque for $9,000 (Dh33,057) from Yousuf Abdul Aziz Al Qatami and Wael Abdul Rahman Al Welayti, both members of the Sahara Kuwait’s golf advisory committee.
“It feels just unbelievable at the moment to what I have achieved. It was a tough week, but I managed to keep my emotions in check. Made lots of birdies and didn’t hit any disastrous shots,” said the Leeds native.
