It’s not quite the last chance saloon as far as his European Tour ambitions are concerned but Scott Henry’s bid to avoid the forthcoming qualifying school and gain promotion back to the main circuit through the Challenge Tour rankings got off to a purposeful start in the opening round of the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final in Oman.
The 28-year-old Clydebank man, who needs to move up five places from 20th on the money list this week and into the card-winning top-15, began his Arabian assault with a three-under 69 to sit in a share of sixth place, three shots behind the early pacesetter, Joachim Hansen of Denmark.
Henry, who had missed four of his last five cuts heading into the season-ending showdown, slipped to an early bogey on the first hole but responded with vigour and reeled off a trio of successive birdies at the second, third and fourth to repair the damage. His eventful opening continued with another dropped shot on the sixth but the former Scottish Boys’ champion hoisted himself back up among the frontrunners with a brace of birdies at the 12th and 13th.
Henry, who was runner-up in the Madeira Islands Open earlier in the season, has to finish as high as he can to gatecrash the leading 15 on the money list and he has given himself a solid platform upon which he can mount a final push over the remaining 54 holes.
While Henry got off to a solid start in the searing Oman heat, there were mixed fortunes for his fellow Scots in the 45-man field. George Murray, who also needs a high finish to move up from 37th on the rankings, opened with a two-under 70 while Peter Whiteford, who would probably need to win this week to vault from 45th place and into the promotion zone, could only muster a 73.
Andrew McArthur and Jamie McLeary are both tucked inside the promotions places at 10th and 11th respectively on the money list but their positions remain precarious with players making moves behind them.
McArthur was left cursing a double-bogey six on the 15th as he posted a three-over 75 while McLeary endured a torrid 78 and finished seven, six as he propped up the standings. At the head of the field, Hansen bounced back from a bogey on the first with a haul of seven birdies to surge to the front.
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