Paul McBride's MENA Tour Momentum Halted by Middle East Cancellations

Paul McBride, a former Walker Cup and Wake Forest standout, has experienced a promising beginning to his season on the MENA Tour, currently ranking 25th on the Order of Merit following consecutive strong showings. The 30-year-old Dubliner commenced his campaign with a tied-ninth position at the Al Houra Classic in Tangier, and the following week, he improved to a solo third-place finish at the Hilton Classic.

However, despite this consistent form, McBride finds himself in a state of uncertainty due to a wave of cancellations on the tour. "The next few events were scheduled for Oman, but they cancelled all their tournaments," McBride explained. "So, we are currently waiting to see what will happen next."

While the unpredictable schedule is a source of frustration, McBride is drawing significant positives from his play, particularly his putting, which he attributes to dedicated winter practice. "I am happy," he stated. "I didn't travel to practice at all this winter; I just worked on my game at home and indoors. So, I was pleasantly surprised with how my game translated to actual competition, I suppose. I'm very pleased with my putting specifically. I put in a lot of work over the winter with Gordon Smyth at Slieve Russell. It's a good setup, and I felt it was beneficial. Then, the events were cancelled, so it's another period of waiting."

Lacking status on the Challenge Tour, McBride is hopeful of receiving invitations to compete, but such opportunities are scarce, especially with numerous Irish players facing a similar situation. "I don't have any status on the Challenge Tour, unfortunately. I really have no idea what's next," he admitted. "So, we'll have to wait and see." For a player who is finding his rhythm, this period of waiting is far from ideal.

English Translation:

Former Walker Cup and Wake Forest star Paul McBride has made an encouraging start to his season on the MENA Tour, currently sitting 25th on the Order of Merit after back-to-back impressive performances. The 30-year-old Dubliner opened his campaign with a tied-ninth finish at the Al Houra Classic in Tangier before going one better the following week, securing a solo third-place finish at the Hilton Classic.

Despite this solid run of form, McBride finds himself in a state of limbo due to a spate of cancellations on the circuit. “The next few events were in Oman, but they cancelled all their tournaments,” McBride explained. “So, we just have to wait here and see what’s going to happen.”

While the scheduling uncertainty is frustrating, McBride is taking plenty of positives from his play, particularly with his putting after a winter of hard work. “I am happy,” he said. “I didn’t go away and practice at all this winter; I just practiced at home and indoors. So, I was pleasantly surprised with how my game was in the real world, I suppose. Very happy with my putting in particular. Kind of did a lot of work over the winter with Gordon Smyth up in Slieve Russell. It’s a good setup, and I just feel like it was nice. And then the events were cancelled, so it’s a bit of a wait again.”

With no status on the Challenge Tour, McBride is hoping he might get some invitations to play on the Challenge Tour, but they are scarce with so many Irish players in the same boat. “I’ve no status on the Challenge Tour, unfortunately. I have no idea really,” he admitted. “So, we will have to wait and see.” For a player finding his rhythm, the waiting game is the last thing he needs.