Hess and Singh lead after round 1 of Jumeirah Golf Estates Amateur Open
Amrit Singh (Emirates Golf Club) and Alistair Hess (The Els Club, Dubai) fired opening rounds of four-under-par 68 on the Fire course to lead the 136-player field at the 2025 Jumeirah Golf Estates Amateur Open.
The tournament, supported by The R&A, serves as both an Emirates Golf Federation (EGF) Order of Merit event and a World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) qualifier. The 54-hole event features a diverse field of 122 male and 14 female golfers, including 21 international players representing 11 countries.
Singh, playing off a handicap of one, began his round on the 1st hole and was one over par through four holes after a bogey on the par-5 4th. However, a superb eagle on the par-5 7th brought him back into red numbers, turning at one-under 35. A strong back nine, featuring four birdies and a lone bogey on the 17th, saw him sign for a 68.
Hess, a +1 handicapper, produced a rollercoaster round with seven birdies, including two impressive streaks of three in a row on holes 7–9 and 13–15. He reached six under par standing on the 16th tee but closed with back-to-back bogeys before a par at the last, finishing with a matching 68.
The co-leaders hold a one-shot advantage over Alexander Larsson (The Els Club, Dubai) and Victor J. Kofod-Olsen (Emirates Golf Club), who carded rounds of three-under 69.
Defending Champion in the Mix
Reigning champion Thomas Stephenson (Jumeirah Golf Estates) remains in contention after an opening 71 (-1), while Anca Matieu (Emirates Golf Club) leads the women's division with an even-par 72.
Cameron McWhinnie, Assistant Golf Services Manager at Jumeirah Golf Estates, praised the opening day's play: 'We have had a tremendous first round today, in our flagship event on our JGE Golf Calendar. There are two rounds still to go – so all is still to play for. The conditions were ideal for scoring with a mild breeze and excellent playing surfaces.
'We cannot wait to see what is ahead for all the players.'
A total of 11 players finished under par, with another eight posting level-par rounds.
Round 2 takes place on Saturday on the Fire course, while the final round will be contested on the Earth course.
Live Scoring Password: JGEAO25
First Round Leaderboard (Par 70)
- A. Singh (EGC) – 68
- A. Hess (The Els Club, Dubai) – 68
- A. Larsson (The Els Club, Dubai) – 69
- V. J. Kofod-Olsen (Emirates Golf Club) – 69
- R. Gulati (Emirates Golf Club) – 70
Tee times for Round 2 on Saturday, March 15, 2025, can be found via the Golf Genius link, with the leaders teeing off last at 1:40 PM in three-balls.
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