RIYADH – Local knowledge came in handy as Pakistan's Shafiq Masih set the early pace in the American Express Dirab Golf Championship, the third event on the 2012 MENA Tour, Monday. The former teaching pro at Saudi Arabia's premier course navigated through the challenging layout with a tidy four-under 68 to share the lead with England's William Harrold and Scotland's Duncan Stewart after the first round of the $50,000 event. Snapping on the heels of early pace-setters, one shot adrift, were Zane Scotland, the winner of the Dubai Creek Open, the tour opening event, and Morocco's fast-improving amateur Amine El Malki. Among the notables, Yasin Ali, an Asian Tour regular, settled for a 71 along with Faycal Serghini of Morocco and Pakistan's Talib Hussain as 13 player broke par at the par-72, 7,280-yard course. Pakistan's Masih admitted his vast knowledge of the Dirab course. England's Harrold reeled off three birdies in a row from the seventh to make the turn at 33, but failed to keep the momentum rolling into the back nine where he picked up one shot at the 13th. Also, moving on top of the leaderboard was Scotland's Stewart, who followed his birdie putt on the 8th with an eagle. “It's nice to start with a 68 considering the fact that the pin positions were a bit tricky. I putted well and that was the key,” he said. A new initiative of the Shaikh Maktoum Golf Foundation, the MENA Golf Tour is affiliated to R&A and the Arab Golf Federation. — SG
