RIYADH, 28 January 2006 — To kick off the 2006 season the Saudi Golf Committee sponsored the January Monthly Medal Tournament yesterday held in conjunction with the Belle Mare Plage Challenge Cup at the Dirab Golf Club course.
The SGC-Belle Mare event was a monthly medal like no other for it was participated by members of the Saudi national golf team and introduced the junior division in the competition.
The Kingdom’s most promising golfer, US-based Othman Al-Mulla, along with team captain veteran Ali Belhareth, Ali Al Sahli, Faraj Al-Shammari, Omar Hariri and Fahd Al-Mansour joined card-bearing regulars at Dirab club in the18-hole strokeplay tourney that also picked the six winners to represent Dirab-Saudi Arabia in the Belle Mare final in Dubai where they will join finalists from 12 golf clubs in the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia during the final in Dubai on May 16.
There will also be qualifying round at Rolling Hills Country Club in Dammam on Feb. 9.
The smooth-swinging zero handicapper Al-Mulla, on a study leave from Arizona to be with his family in Dammam, was the hot favorite.
Locked in a battle royale with Korean hotshot M.S. Kim, Al-Mulla was comfortably ahead until double bogeys in the last two holes negated an eagle three on the 15th hole and birdie on No. 16 and allowed Kim to escape with a one-stroke victory.
Kim closed out with a gross 80 and Al-Mula with a 79, as the Korean earned a trip to Dubai as the Division I (0-15 handicap) men’s best gross winner.
Graham Walker, meantime, led the five best net winners in Division I, shooting a 71. The next three all shot 73 and after the countback was applied South African Barry Steyn, Nduna Dzimiri and Sam Montgomery placed second, third and fourth with Pat Kennedy in fifth at 74.
The Second Division (16-28) title went to Pakistani Nadeem Mirza who signed for a 67 followed by Mudit Saxena in second at 68 and Mustaq Bakshi in third at 71. Alistier Banfield came in fourth at 72 and Bruce McCrea fifth at 73.
Diane Banfield won the Ladies Division with a net 72, and her gross score of 85 gave her an invitation to the Dubai final from the organizing Hotels Constance and Dubai Golf Holidays + Events.
Genet Berta was second at 73, while Lily Bullard, Laura Collins and Assa Attiya wound up third, fourth and fifth at 75, 76, 76.
Michael Steyn, a 10-year old budding talent and son of Barry, captured the junior division crown after shooting a 69. Hestia Maillet was second at 94 and KhalidAttiya third at 98.
Walker, Mirza qualified for the Dubai final as the Divison I and Division II best net winners, while Berta also made with the second best net score in the distaff side since Banfield already qualified from the best gross category. Saxena completed the six qualifiers as the Second Divison Best Gross winner.
Filipino Yassin Palileo smoked a 333-yard tee shot on the 9th to earn longest drive honors in the men’s division with Lisa Ellison winning the accolade in the ladies class. Barry Steyn won the close to pin award.
Nasser Choudry was the lucky winner of a business class return air ticket to Colombo courtesy of Sri Lankan Airlines.
Saudi Golf Committee President Khaled Abunayyan presented the awards during the prize distribution ceremony. He was assisted by SGC members Yousef Al-Mahfouz and Saad Al-Otaibi and Dirab Golf Club Manager Bouchaib El Jadiani.
In his speech, Abunayyan thanked the participants and sponsors for helping make the event a big success. He also gave a brief introduction of SGC and its mission of promoting golf in the Kingdom.
