JOSHUA White emerged as the overnight leader yesterday after the first round of play in the 10th King Hamad Trophy Golf Championship.
White took to The Royal Golf Club’s 18-hole Montgomerie course and carded a six-under-par 66 to rise to the top of the leaderboard with two rounds to play.
White holed eight birdies on the day, including five on the front nine when he was four-under. He completed his round with the the second of two bogeys, but his overall performance was good enough to put him in first place.
White enjoyed a one-shot lead ahead of fellow-professional Luke Joy and Moroccan amateur Ayoub Lguirati, who both were five-under-par 67.
Joy finished with seven birdies but also had a double bogey the par four eighth hole.
Lguirati, meanwhile, had a consistent outing, holing five birdies.
Former champion and Mena Tour Order of Merit winner Jamie Elson followed in fourth place with a four-under-68, while in fifth was Josh Oddy with a three-under-par 69.
Five players were tied with a two-under-par 70. They included Ben Amor, Louis Campbell, Karim El Hali, defending champion Andrew Marshall and Sam Hobday.
A total of 86 players teed off yesterday in the opening round of the tournament. All together, they carded one eagle, 189 birdies, 798 pars, 415 bogeys and 104 double bogeys, to come up with an average score of 78.54 between them.
The second round of play is today at the same venue, to be followed by the third and final round tomorrow.
A cut will be made after today’s play, as only the leading 45 players and ties will qualify for the final day.
A total prize pot of $27,000 has been set for the championship. It is set to be divided by the leading 10 professionals after 54 holes of play.
This year’s champion will receive $8,500, while the runner-up will get $5,200. Third place will pocket $3,200, fourth place$2,200, fifth $1,800 and sixth place will get $1,500. Seventh position will take home $1,300, while $1,200 will go to eighth place. The ninth-placed professional will get $1,100 and 10th will win $1,000.
The King Hamad Trophy is a strokeplay championship.
In the event of a tie in the lowest gross total, the winner shall be decided by a sudden death play-off over the 18th hole.