Hayley Davis stays focused on her plans

ABU DHABI // The girls' section of the Abu Dhabi Junior Championship produced the strongest line-up in the event's history in the opinion of Jeremy Deedes, one of the organisers who has helped run the event on behalf of the Daily Telegraph since it started.

Pick of the field proved to be Hayley Davis, one of five players possessing a plus three handicap.

The Hampshire teenager won by three stokes with a 54-hole aggregate of 212, from Amy Boulden (Llandudno) and Kelly Tidy (Bolton), who tied for second place on a score of one under par.

Davis, 17, who won the English Ladies' championship earlier this year, has aspirations of joining the professional ranks but is in no hurry.

"I'm currently looking at college options in the United States," she said after a two-over-par round of 72 yesterday left her at four under for the tournament.

"I'll see how my game is after four years there and then make a decision."

Boulden, who played in the British Women's Open major professional event this year after finishing runner-up in the British Amateur strokeplay competition, lamented a disastrous nine midway through her second round for ending her victory aspirations.

"That left me with too much to do today," she said. "But I said to the girls I was going out there to shoot a 64.

"I had that in my sights when I got it to seven under for the round but a couple of late bogeys ended my hopes. Still, I have to be happy with a 66 - the best score of the day."

Tidy, 18, who is based at Royal Birkdale and is the British Ladies' Amateur champion, was also left to look back at what might have been after posting a level par 72.

"I have left so many shots out there," she said.

"I would not normally do that. I came here to win so I'm a little disappointed but it's been a terrific experience."

wjohnson@thenational.ae

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Salah in numbers

€39 million: Liverpool agreed a fee, including add-ons, in the region of €39m (nearly Dh176m) to sign Salah from Roma last year. The exchange rate at the time meant that cost the Reds £34.3m - a bargain given his performances since.

13: The 25-year-old player was not a complete stranger to the Premier League when he arrived at Liverpool this summer. However, during his previous stint at Chelsea, he made just 13 Premier League appearances, seven of which were off the bench, and scored only twice.

57: It was in the 57th minute of his Liverpool bow when Salah opened his account for the Reds in the 3-3 draw with Watford back in August. The Egyptian prodded the ball over the line from close range after latching onto Roberto Firmino's attempted lob.

7: Salah's best scoring streak of the season occurred between an FA Cup tie against West Brom on January 27 and a Premier League win over Newcastle on March 3. He scored for seven games running in all competitions and struck twice against Tottenham.

3: This season Salah became the first player in Premier League history to win the player of the month award three times during a term. He was voted as the division's best player in November, February and March.

40: Salah joined Roger Hunt and Ian Rush as the only players in Liverpool's history to have scored 40 times in a single season when he headed home against Bournemouth at Anfield earlier this month.

30: The goal against Bournemouth ensured the Egyptian achieved another milestone in becoming the first African player to score 30 times across one Premier League campaign.

8: As well as his fine form in England, Salah has also scored eight times in the tournament phase of this season's Champions League. Only Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, with 15 to his credit, has found the net more often in the group stages and knockout rounds of Europe's premier club competition.