JJ MICALLEF PLACES 2ND IN THE TURKISH OPEN

06/09/2016

With a 72-hole aggregate score of +13, JJ Micallef managed to secure second place in the 15th Turkish Amateur Open Championship that was played at the National Golf Club. The golf course situated in Belek, Antalya is a par 73 (five par 5 holes; four par 3’s and nine par 4’s) measuring 6086 metres with the longest hole being the first a 507 metre par 5 followed by actually the shortest hole a 129 metre par 3.

JJ and Andy Borg (the other Maltese in the tournament) were among the eleven international players that entered the event with all the others being Turkish Citizens. It must be said that JJ and Andy made the personal effort to go to Turkey without any financial assistance from the MGA as they prepare themselves to represent Malta in the WATC Eisenhower Trophy that is due to start in a few days’ time.

Our players’ experience in the Turkish Amateur was a bit of a seesaw. After the first day of play Andy’s +6 and JJ’s +8 placed them 17th and 23rd. Andy bogeyed 6 of the first eleven holes whereas JJ birdie on the 6th was erased with three double bogeys and three bogeys the latter on the last three holes.

Both players improved their scores on the second day by five shots. Andy’s -1 was the second best score for the day achieved through one bogey and two birdies. JJ’s +3 was due to five bogeys and two birdies. This moved the players up the leader board to 5th and 15th place respectively.

On the third day Andy retained his 5th overall position through a +3 score obtained from five bogeys and two birdies whilst JJ leapfrogged to 7th place with a one under par score through an amazing six birdies which were however diluted by three bogeys and a double.

Andy then faltered on the last day through two double bogeys and five bogeys softened by two birdies for a final aggregate score of +15 placing him 6th. JJ’s three over for the day from six bogeys and three birdies was sufficient for him to grasp second place from three other Turkish players.

The difficulty of the National Golf course manifested itself in the overall scoring of the field with the (Turkish national) winner returning an aggregate score of +2 and the last placed a score of +106.