Back-To-Back for Nuria? Nuria Iturrios and Esther Henseleit Top a Cluttered Leaderboard Heading Into the Final Round of the Omega Dubai Moonlight Classic
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ROUND 3 FRIDAY MAY 3, 2019 Back-to-back for Nuria? Nuria Iturrios and Esther Henseleit top a cluttered leaderboard heading into the final round of the Omega Dubai Moonlight Classic. By Kent Gray – Editor, Golf Digest Middle East NURIA ITURRIOS has a shot at joining a rare compatriot Karolin Lampert and first band of back-to-back Ladies European round leader Leona Maguire are at -6 Tour winners but knows the game of and -5 respectively. golf, not to mention a quartet of pursuers Iturrios would become the first player desperately chasing their maiden wins, since India’s Aditi Ashok in 2016 to will ensure her bid for a place in the capture back-to-back titles if she can history books is anything but a cinch. get over the line today. But given the The 23-year-old Spaniard starts the low scoring for two-thirds of the new- final round of the $285,000 Omega look 54-hole Pro-Am thus far, the six Dubai Moonlight Classic tied atop players within five strokes of Iturrios and the leaderboard with German Esther Henseleit will fancwy their chances in Henseleit at -9 and has the advantage Friday’s final round. Even Thai Kanyalak of being the only player in the top Preedasuttijit, Swede Caroline Hedwall five to have won on tour, as recently and Finn Noora Komulainen at -4 have as last week at the Lalla Meryem Cup given themselves an outside shot. in Morocco. Another German, Olivia “It would be awesome, of course, but Cowan, is third a shot further back while it’s still 18 holes to play... Turn to page 2 Paige Impressions Picture Round-Up A lucky amateur will lead out today’s final All the best action from Thursday’s second round with Paige Spiranac. PAGE 3 round on The Faldo course. PAGE 5 Six to Watch Final Round Tee Times EMIRATES GOLF Your guide to the big names in the hunt to Plan your viewing pleasure with the groups SEAMASTER AQUA TERRA CLUB DUBAI MASTER CHRONOMETER hoist the famed Dallah trophy today. PAGE 4 and tee times for round 3. PAGE 6 1 – 3 MAY, 2019 PATRON & OFFICIAL PUBLISHER More information available at OMEGA Middle East, Emirates Towers, Dubai, UAE. Tel: +971 4 3300455 @OmegaGolfDubai #ODMC2019 2 NEWS LEADERBOARD Rank Name Country R1 R2 To Par T1 Esther Henseleit GER 69 66 -9 T1 Nuria Iturrios ESP 67 68 -9 3 Olivia Cowan GER 66 70 -8 4 Karolin Lampert GER 68 70 -6 5 Leona Maguire IRL 64 75 -5 Continued from cover page... so that’s fine for me. I made some Leona Maguire is perhaps T6 Kanyalak Preedasuttijit THA 71 69 -4 and you never know. It’s golf…” said putts and missed some, so we’ll see the closest player to Iturrios and Iturrios before reflecting on her for tomorrow.” Henseleit with the most to prove. T6 Caroline Hedwall SWE 68 72 -4 second round of 68. Henseleit produced the lowest After her sizzling course record T6 Noora Komulainen FIN 70 70 -4 “So I want to enjoy it. I want to relax round on Thursday which is even 64 on Wednesday, the 24-year-old and prepare my mind for tomorrow. more notable given her 66 included Irishwoman stuttered to a 75 in the T9 Hannah Burke ENG 72 69 -3 I didn’t see the scores, but I’m still a double bogey on the par-3 17th second round – an 11 shot reserve feeling good, so let’s keep going.” when she splashed out of a greenside which saw her slide to fifth overnight. T9 Marianne Skarpnord NOR 69 72 -3 Iturrios has only signed for two bunker and three-putted. But with “I didn’t give myself many birdies in the opening 36 holes and has four top-10s already in her rookie chances today,” said the former 11 Kylie Henry SCO 69 73 -2 played her last six rounds, including the campaign, the 20-year-old is clearly world amateur No.1 before getting four en-route to victory in Rabat, in a in a good space. into some of the ugly specifics. “On T12 Liz Young ENG 71 72 -1 thoroughly impressive 32-under-par. “My long game is really solid and T12 Carly Booth SCO 68 75 -1 She certainly seems to have all facets my ball striking is really good, so my of her game in fine shape. swing is feeling good. I just felt like It would mean T12 Beth Allen USA 72 71 -1 “I made two birdies from really I could attack some pins and also good bunker shots on holes 10 and putted really well, so I had a lot of everything. T12 Sarah Kemp AUS 69 74 -1 13 [yesterday], where I can reach the birdies,” Henseleit said. greens in two. I love bunker shots, “Sadly I had a double bogey on 17, I think everyone which was not that good, but that happens. I’m still quite happy about my round.” wants to win Claiming a first LET win would obviously be something else to get and to do this excited about, not that Henseleit is getting ahead of herself. CREDIT CARDS in your first “It would mean everything. I think everyone wants to win and to do this year would be in your first year is really good, but there is still one day to go and I’m not thinking of the win. I want to do really good.” my best and see what happens.” Cowan carded a 70 to go with her CO-LEADER opening 66 and would love to claim ESTHER HENSELEIT her maiden win in Dubai given her close connections to the Emirate, seven, I wanted to hit 7-wood, my including a sponsorship deal with JA caddie wanted me to hit a 9 and I hit The Resort. a 9 in the water [en-route to a double “I want to go out and play good golf bogey], which was quite annoying to and see what happens: hopefully win. finish with. It would mean the world. It would “I didn’t give myself enough chances be amazing. I’ve been close a few and didn’t hole any putts, so no times and I’m just waiting for that birdies today. I need to play a lot better one little step. It would be amazing, tomorrow and hit my irons better to here in Dubai, with my sponsors.” give myself some more chances.” ◼ Editor-in-Chief Editor Chief Commercial General Manager Your next adventure is now 100,000 Miles closer Obaid Humaid Kent Gray Officer – Production Al Tayer Anthony Milne S. Sunil Kumar Get up to 100,000* bonus Skywards Miles with Emirates NBD Art Director Group Editor and Clarkwin Cruz Publisher Production Manager Skywards Credit Cards Managing Partner Images David Burke R. Murali Krishnan Ian Fairservice You can also enjoy: Tristan Jones, LET, Senior Projects Assistant Editorial Director Matt Burton Manager – Connect Production Manager > Up to 2 Skywards Miles per USD 1 equivalent spend Gina Johnson Ingrid Valles Po Binu Purandaran > Complimentary Emirates Skywards Silver membership > Unlimited access to 900+ airport lounges worldwide via LoungeKey > Complimentary Rotana Rewards exclusive membership Apply now and start planning your next getaway! Head Office: To apply for a Credit Card: Media One Tower, PO Box 2331, Dubai, UAE; Tel +971 4 427 3000; Fax +971 4 428 2270 Dubai Media City: SMS ‘WAFR’ to 4456 Office 508, 5th Floor, Building 8, Dubai, UAE; Tel +971 4 390 3550; Fax +971 4 390 4845 Abu Dhabi: PO Box 43072, UAE; Tel +971 2 657 3493 Terms and Conditions apply. Limited time offer only. London: Acre House, 11/15 William Road, London NW1 3ER, UK; E-mail: [email protected] Connect with us 675567 EmiratesNBD.com/Cards Printed by Al Ghurair Printing Press J02583_Skywards2018_New_2_107x157_Final.indd 1 4/22/19 1:04 PM 3 On the tee, Paige Spiranac, Rafa Cabrera Bello and the luckiest amateur in the world. EGARDLESS OF how she plays, Paige Spiranac is R going to find her entire round on The Faldo course today much easier than the partial hole she negotiated under lights on Wednesday night. We can also guarantee Sara Wiedenhaefer will find her loop of the pristine Omega Dubai Moonlight Classic venue an utter blast. Wiedenhaefer has jetted into Dubai on Emirates Airlines after winning a social media competition where a round with Spiranac and four nights at the JA Palm Tree Court Hotel completed the once- in-a-lifetime prize. But not only Paige will the Washington D.C. amateur tee it up with the Instagram star and golf influencer, she’ll also have the dream bonus of playing alongside Ryder Cupper Rafa Cabrera Bello and Majed Al-Sorour, the chief executive of the Saudi Impression Golf Federation. The quartet will tee it up at 10am, 59 minutes exacly before the first get the full experience. group goes out in the final round “Every time I’ve been at Emirates of the $285,000 Moonlight Classic. Golf Club, it’s been in pristine As a professional golfer, Spiranac is condition. The staff are always unlikely to suffer from 1st tee nerves so nice and so welcoming and Sheikh Zayed Road and she’ll most definitely find it people that I haven’t seen since my easier than on Wednesday night first trip still remember me and Festival Plaza Mall/ when she was challenged to hit a are so welcoming, which I really IKEA drive from the 11th tee and perform appreciate and enjoy.” Energy Metro Station The Nook trick shots blindfolded as part of the And what do you make of Hillside Residences event’s PR drive.