Week 12 saw the arrival of the season’s largest field, including several newcomers to both the eGolf Tour and Lion’s Den. The Player’s Committee extended a warm welcome to several new faces as the first round took place at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club in Abu Dhabi, where competitive low scores emerged.
The USA’s Cole Madey and Gary Hurley from Ireland both delivered outstanding performances, carding superb rounds of 7 under par 65 on the picturesque Abu Dhabi course. This exceptional play secured them a two-shot lead over eGolf Tour newcomers Alton Albers and Rhys Enoch, who was a further shot behind Albers at 4 under par.
Returning to the Els Club for round 2, much of the field had high hopes entering into the second round looking to go low and take victory should the leaders falter. Hurley got off to a slow start while Madey continued his exceptional form backing up his 7 under par first round by firing an outstanding 9 under par 63 off the Lion’s Den Championship tees. Madey’s exceptional play resulted in a two-day total of 16 under par, storming to an 8-shot victory over Anton Albers, with John Murphy taking 3rd place honors in his first event following a 6 under par 66 in round 2.