Khaled Attieh took a significant step towards realising his dream of becoming the first full-fledged professional tour player from Saudi Arabia with a creditable performance in the MENA Golf Tour’s opening event of the season in Rabat.

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The 19-year-old shot rounds of 75, 74 and 76 to win the Shaikh Maktoum Golf Foundation Award for being the best amateur in the MENA region on Monday.

With the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam Open producing just three scores in red numbers – winner Ross McGown (-3), Stuart Achibald (-1) and Jack Hiluta (-1) – Attieh, with a tally of six-over, proved he can be as competitive as anyone in the field.

“My biggest takeaway from this tournament is an increased confidence in my ability to play golf at any level,” said Attieh, a former student of Dubai American Academy who attended La Jolla Country Day in Southern California.

“Playing alongside some of the top professionals on the (MENA) tour was a great experience.

“I intend to turn professional next year if things go according to plan and, hopefully, will use the MENA Tour platform to launch my career in the paid ranks. 

“I will be playing in three major championships in May – the St Andrews Trophy, the French and Irish amateur championships – to hone my competitive edge.”