Meghan MacLaren - Photo: DR

MacLaren, 23, started his final round with three birdies in his first five holes and edged Huizing by five strokes in the first open-field golf tournament that saw men and women compete on the same course for one prize. .

With a bogey on the 6 and a birdie on the 7, MacLaren was three strokes ahead of the last nine holes at Ayla Golf Club, but the 23-year-old Dutchman turned the tide on the next three holes after MacLaren brought in the 10 on 3 putts and double buggy on 11, his ball having struck a rock on a lake near the green and then rebounded to another penalty area.

Daan Huizing, 1st Jordan Mixed Open champion - Photo: DR

MacLaren had several chances on the last nine holes, but the Challenge Tour player managed to beat his opponent by two strokes after back-to-back birdies at the 12th and 13th holes. Although he suffered a bogey on the 14 after hitting his tee shot in the rough, he rolled a tricky birdie putt from the back of the green on the 16 to regain his two-stroke advantage. Both opponents dropped their tee shots in the stream parallel to the 17th green and pared on the final two holes, but Huizing concluded with a two-stroke win ahead with a final round of 68 for a total of 200, 16 under par, after 54 holes.

He said he was proud to have won the event, which saw golfers from the Challenge Tour, the 50+ Staysure Tour and the Ladies European Tour compete on an equal footing.

“It's a special occasion. I think this is a great initiative. It was great fun playing in a final group with a Challenge Tour player, a senior player and a female player. It was a great battle. It's a different and very special vibe to be the first winner and I hope this event has a great future. "

For Huizing, it was redemption for his nightmarish moment in the Challenge Tour Grand Final last year, when after a double buggy on the 17th he missed out on the European Tour. Reflecting on his third victory on the Challenge Tour, he adds: “I'm buzzing, man. It's a big time for me. I've had some tough times at home recently so it's a really nice way to prove to myself that I've had it. Trust is in me and in those around me, my team and my family, I am truly grateful for their support. It is an honour for me. I think this is a historic event. It was a great experience and I am very honored to be champion here. "

MacLaren, who registered a final 72 card to finish second with 14 under par, commented: “I'm obviously quite disappointed not to win this week, having been in such a good position, but it was still an honor to be here and to represent women's golf alongside two other big circuits. It was pretty tight in the last few holes so I think it was good fun for everyone. "

“It was a great concept, but none of us really knew how it was going to play out. The way the scores were calculated throughout the week has shown that it is absolutely possible to work with the right thought process and the right course setting up if you take the trouble ”

In fact, with a roughly equal number of players from each co-sanctioning round (20 from the Ladies European Tour, 25 from the Challenge Tour and 21 from the Staysure Tour) and the top three players made up of one competitor from each circuit, the screenplay couldn't be better written for the Ayla Golf Club team, which contributed to the success of the innovative tournament.

"We are very pleased with the great success of the Jordan Mixed Open", commented Khaled Masri, president of Ayla. “This international golf tournament, the first of its kind, has attracted many golfers and tourists from all over the world, placing Jordan on the map of major international golf events. We hope to maintain this growing trend and will continue to host new world and regional championships on our world class golf course. "

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