February 6, 2016 – The MENA Golf Tour breaks new ground, teeing off the 2016 schedule with the inaugural Qualifying School to be held at Almenara Golf Club in the Spanish resort Sotogrande in the Cadiz province in February.

In a first for the tour, the Q-School, conforming to the guidelines set forth by the game’s apex body, will pave the way for the MENA Golf Tour to become eligible for Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) status.

With the Olympics on the horizon, the ranking status is a must for players from a multitude of different countries who aim to qualify when golf returns to the programme later this year after a 104-year absence.

Open to all professionals and amateurs, the 54-hole Q-School will be held in two stages. The first stage, on February 14-15, will see players compete over 36 holes of stroke play when the half-way cut will be made, narrowing down the field for the final stage 18-hole competition to be played the following day.

The top 60 players from the final qualifying round will be eligible for Category-7 membership of the MENA Golf Tour for the 2016 season which will have close to 20 events, covering new destinations in Kuwait, Egypt, Spain, Thailand and South Africa.

“With a week to go before entries close on February 1, we expect a flurry of last-minute entries for the Q-School,” said Mohamed Juma Buamaim, chairman of the MENA Golf Tour.

“This year we have a very strong schedule, which is almost double in size in comparison to last year when we had 11 events. The rise in number of events is an apt reflection of the healthy growth of the tour over years,” he said.

“It’s great to see many new countries come forward and support the tour. We value the support of our friends in golf’s governing bodies in the region, the host venues and tournament promoters who share in our vision to promote the game in the region.

“I am confident that we are headed for truly exciting times ahead. The journey that began in 2011 has picked up the momentum, which is a good sign, but we need more backing from the corporate world to put things on cruise control.”

Added incentives for MENA Golf Tour members include multiple European Tour starts, including the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and the Hassan II Trophy in additions to exemptions into the Final Stage of the Asian Tour Q-School for the leading three professionals.

An initiative of the Shaikh Maktoum Golf Foundation, the MENA Golf Tour was created in 2011 with the aim of developing golf in the region. It is affiliated to R&A, the worldwide golf governing body based in the home of golf, St Andrews, and the Arab Golf Federation.