Huizing secures historic win at groundbreaking Jordan Mixed Open presented by Ayla

Daan Huizing made golfing history by becoming the first player to win a full-field mixed professional tournament with a two-stroke triumph over Meghan MacLaren at the groundbreaking Jordan Mixed Open presented by Ayla.

The Dutchman began the final round at the stunning Ayla Golf Club two shots behind overnight leader MacLaren, who opened the world-first tournament with consecutive rounds of seven under par 65.

MacLaren started the final day strong, carding two birdies on her first three holes, but Huizing was able to slowly chip away at the Englishwoman’s lead, and by the time the two golfers reached the 13th tee, they were deadlocked on 14 under par.

The stage was set for a never-before-seen battle down the stretch between a male and female golfer competing for the same first prize.

In the end, it was Huizing who came out on top as he converted three crucial birdies on the closing holes and signed for a four under par 68, which gave him a two-stroke victory.

The win was an emotional one for the 28-year-old, who admitted it was a tough off-season after he narrowly missed out on a European Tour card at the Challenge Tour Grand Final last year.

I’m buzzing, it’s a big moment for me,” said the Dutchman. “I’ve had a rough time at home recently so this is a really sweet way to prove to myself that I’ve got it. The belief in myself and the people around me, my team and my family, I’m really grateful for their support. I’m honoured. I think it’s an historic event.

“To be the inaugural winner — it’s a special moment. I think it’s a great initiative. It was great fun playing in a final group with a Challenge Tour player, a senior tour player and a lady player. It was a great battle. It’s a different vibe and very special to be the first winner and I hope it’s something that can be continued in the future.”

 

MacLaren finished the Jordan Mixed Open presented by Ayla alone in second place — two shots clear of Martin Simonsen, who matched the Ayla Golf Club course record with a final round of eight under par 64, which moved him 17 places up the leaderboard and into third place.

I’m obviously pretty disappointed not to win this week, having been in such a good position, but it was still an honour to be here and represent women’s golf alongside two other great tours,” said MacLaren.

“It was a great concept but none of us really knew how it would pan out. The way the scores panned out throughout the week showed that it absolutely can work with the right thought process and course set-up if people do the research. Female golfers have done ourselves proud this week and it’s been a great environment to be in with all three tours.” – Megan MacLaren

“It’s been an honour to be here and it was a great concept and one that I hope can catch on in the future. The research that went into it played out with the scores because it was pretty comparable across the three Tours so I’d like to see it happen more often.”

The event was another huge feather in cap for golf in the Middle East and Jordan with the country playing host to a European Tour sanctioned event for the very first time at Jordan’s premier golf destination. With stunning views of the Red Sea City of Aqaba and the shimmering southern shores, Ayla Golf Club was the perfect destination for golf to make history by recognising the importance of equality and equal opportunity in a single tournament.

The Jordan Mixed Open presented by Ayla assembled 40 players from each of the European Challenge Tour, the Staysure Tour and the Ladies European Tour, plus three amateurs, into the same 123-player field and will forever be remembered as a game-changer not just in golf but across the sporting world.

 

The final grouping was comprised of one player from each of the three Tours, and of the 66 players that  made the cut, 20 represented the Ladies European Tour, 21 were from the Staysure Tour and 25 were from the Challenge Tour.

In addition, the back nine battle for the win between MacLaren and Huizing created tense drama all the way to the end.

Players from all three Tours were represented in the top five. The best performer from the over-50s contingent was José Coceres of Argentina who finished in a tie for fourth place alongside Challenge Tour players Jack Senior and Oliver Farr.

Thorough research was performed by tournament officials before the event began. Data on driving distance, approach shot distance, club selection and scoring was collected after each round, and will provide crucial findings to all three Tours.

The low-amateur competitor, Emilie Paltrinieri of Italy, carded rounds of 70-74-73 to finish the tournament on one over par.

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