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The MENA Tour, the UAE-based professional golf initiative and the region’s only tour recognized by the Official World Golf Ranking, has successfully concluded its four-tournament Egypt swing with Spanish golfer Juan Salama claiming victory at Madinaty Golf Club. The tournament marked the culmination of a successful Egyptian leg that distributed $400,000 in prize money across four world-class golf courses in the country.
Salama dominated the final championship from start to finish, posting a closing round of five-under-par 65 to finish at 17-under-par overall. The victory secured his first-ever MENA Tour title and earned him $18,000 from the $100,000 prize purse, along with valuable Official World Golf Ranking points.
Record-Breaking Performance on the MENA Tour
The Spanish golfer made his mark from day one by setting a course record of 60 strokes at Madinaty Golf Club. He maintained the lead throughout all four rounds, eventually finishing three strokes ahead of his nearest competitors. According to Salama, recording 60 strokes was his best personal achievement and laid the foundation for his wire-to-wire victory.
Jack Davidson, last week’s champion, and Owen Edwards, who was tied for the lead before the final round, shared second place at 14-under-par. The result represented redemption for Salama, who had lost to Davidson in a playoff at Address Marassi Golf Club just seven days earlier.
Egypt Swing Wraps Up Successfully
The Madinaty championship concluded a successful four-tournament series in Egypt, with competitions also held at Address Marassi and New Giza golf courses. The MENA Tour distributed prize money totaling $400,000 across these world-class facilities, providing professional golfers with valuable playing opportunities in the region.
Additionally, Salama credited his success to working with a local caddie who read the greens exceptionally well. The golfer expressed gratitude to the MENA Tour for providing opportunities to compete on excellent courses, calling his first international victory crucial for pursuing his professional dreams.
Tournament Highlights and Standings
Davidson, who finished his final round with 66 strokes, acknowledged the challenge of chasing Salama’s lead. However, he noted that Salama played excellently with few mistakes, making it difficult to close the gap despite his own solid performance throughout the week.
Meanwhile, English golfer Ben Jones posted the best score of the final day with a six-under-par 64, climbing to fourth place at 13-under-par overall. His compatriot Curtis Knipes finished fifth at 10-under-par after also recording a 64 in the final round.
In contrast, three players shared sixth place at nine-under-par: Dutch golfer Lars Keunen, Englishman Jordan Wrisdale, and Italian Ludovico Addabbo. Addabbo collected important ranking points on the tour in the absence of leader Chris Wood, who was competing in the Qatar Masters.
MENA Tour Season Continues
The tour, which began its season in Portugal, will continue its schedule with tournaments in Morocco later this month. Following the Moroccan events, the MENA Tour will travel to Jordan in March before concluding its season in Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
The tour’s progression through multiple countries demonstrates its commitment to developing professional golf across the Middle East and North Africa region. The successful Egypt swing has set a strong foundation for the remainder of the season as players compete for ranking points and prize money.
The MENA Tour is expected to announce specific dates and venues for the upcoming Morocco championships in the coming weeks, with players already preparing to continue their season on the professional circuit.
