CAIRO, 3 December 2005 — The cold began to bite on the Dreamland golf course signaling the arrival of winter but that did not stop hot hosts Egypt from taking over the lead after the third round yesterday in the 26th Pan Arab Golf Championship here.
Saudi Arabia produced their best total so far in the tournament but were still way down in the leader board. Team captain Ali Belhareth and Othman Al-Mulla both shot identical steady rounds of 76 that gave the Kingdom 234 for the day and 709 total. Sattam Al-Gosaibi returned the third score to count for the Saudis with an 82.
The fourth man on the Saudi squad, Ali Al Sahli, compiled 84 in an up-and-down performance that was a far cry from his second round 78.
The fourth round today is expected to be a battle of attrition between defending team and individual champions Bahrain and Egypt as they try to outrace each other for the 11th crown in the team event of the competition organized by the Arab Golf Federation.
The gritty Egyptians made up seven strokes on Bahrain to seize a one-stroke lead with a three-day total of 663 as their country’s No. 1 AAbu Ela and Memdouh El Sheikh both fired one-under 71 to go with the 74 by Teymor Abu Kheir for a third round aggregate of 216, the best effort in three rounds.
Bahrain, who hold the most number of championships at 10 in a tie with the hosts, drew 72 from the region’s top player and defending individual champion Nasser Yacoub, 75 from Abdulla Sultan and 77 from Hamad Mubarak in shooting a third round 224 that gave the team a 664 total.
While Bahrain and Egypt are poised for a Saturday shootout, the 42-year old Yacoub looked set to wrap up the title with a six-stroke lead over El Sheikh going into today’s final round. Yacoub totaled 215 and El Sheikh 221.
Lebanon and Tunis had better third round scores of 222 and 221 respectively compared to Bahrain while Egypt junior team matched their senior Bahraini counterparts. Lebanon were two strokes behind Bahrain on 666 with Tunis, powered by the day’s low round of 69 from Saber Barhoumi, 73 from Ayman Al Fergani and 79 from Maher Al Fergani, on 674.
Barhoumi’s valiant effort gave him a 211 total in the net individual contest setting up a final day showdown with Lebanese Adnan Hammoud who fired a 71 yesterday for a 210 total.
Tunis looked set to run away with the net team title after seizing an eight-stroke lead with a 36-hole total of 638 over Lebanon.
Meantime, Khalid Abou Talib won a fresh four-year term as president during the general assembly meeting of the Arab Golf Federation Thursday night.
Elected along with Abou Talib, also president of Egypt Golf Federation, were Dr. Faisal Alameddin and Hassan El Mezonar El Glaoui, vice-presidents; and Egyptian Mohammad Al Attar, secretary-general. Lebanese Alameddin and Moroccan El Glaoui head their country’s federations.
The 2006 championship to be hosted by Lebanon will be held sometime in September. Also during the meeting, it was agreed the next Red Sea Arab Open Championship in Soma Bay will be an open competition between Arabs and non-Arabs breaking a tradition that awards separate trophies. The AGF is also planning to form an Arab Team comprised of the best 12 players in the region to compete in Ryder Cup-style matches against the US, Europeans and Asians.
Notes:The British built the oldest golf club, Jazira Sporting Club, in Egypt in 1882. The first Egypt Amateur Golf Championship was held in 1908 and the Egyptian Open in 1922. Al-Mulla is ambidextrous.
They play golf right-handed and write with the left hand. Shaban Berbash, of Libya, still plays competitive golf at 64. He is the oldest in the fold.
Abdulla Sultan, a cousin of Yacoub, was encouraged to play golf while caddying for the British and Koreans in the 60s well before the oil boom in Bahrain. He says during that time he uses makeshift clubs made out of steel rods which he melts on one end to shape the clubhead and wraps bicycle rubber tubes on the other end to form the grip.
