RIYADH, 12 February 2007 — Eighty did try their luck but only six were chosen at the end of the four-ball better ball competition in the Saudi qualifying round of the Constance Belle Mare Plage Challenge Cup golf tournament.

Korean M.S. Kim and Saudi Fahad Al-Mansour combined for a sparkling gross score of 69 to edge out the father and son tandem of Jean Luc Haas and Jeremy Haas, who played off scratch handicap and finished with 70. Patrick Kennedy and Kolo Pelesikoti rounded out the first three winners on 74.

Kim and Al-Mansour qualified as Best Gross winners for the Dubai grand final to be played on May 5 at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, the only 18-hole golf resort in the region.

Joining them were the teams of Abdulalam Rahman-Tariq Saeed Khan and Ruby Klawikowski-Seu Mature.

Taking advantage of their 21-handicap to the hilt, the pair of Rahman-Khan routed the field to compile the Best Net winning score of 60. Two strokes back in second place were Richard Bisol and Mike Jones with the pair of Gwenael Jacob and Patrick Natali in third position with a 63.

Klawikowski and Mature made the Dubai trip as the winning pair in the ladies division, signing for a 69.

The prizes for the straight drive went to Mohammed Subedar in the men’s division and Klawikowski in the women’s group and the closest to pin to Mujeeb Minhas.

The tournament is the fifth qualifying round where the winners also were awarded prizes courtesy of Burberry Golf, one of the event’s sponsors.

M. J. Al Haebi and former winner Nadeem Mirza handed out prizes to the winner during the prize-giving ceremony.

According to a press release forwarded to Arab News by Dubai Golf Club Manager Bouchaib El Jadiani, winners in the Dubai grand final will be rewarded with a 10-day trip to the paradise island of Mauritius in December. Flying with Emirates Airline, one of the event’s sponsors, winners will stay at the luxurious Constance Belle Mare Plage, voted Golf Resort of the Year in 2004 by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators.

All winners will play in the Mauritius Open Pro-Am and the gentlemen winners will be eligible to play in an amateur competition the Wednesday before the Open, as well as having the chance to qualify to play in The International Championship.

Should the winners of Belle Mare Challenge Cup be of scratch handicap, they will be entered into the prestigious Open itself. The ladies will also qualify to play in the Ladies’ Tournament on the Thursday and Friday.

Joining the title sponsor of the challenge, Hotels Constance, are co-sponsors Emirates Airline, Burberry Golf, African and Eastern, Istithmar Leisure/Jumeirah Golf Estates and Dubai Golf Holidays + Events.