RIYADH, 29 June 2007 — The Saudi Golf Committee is to send a five-man junior team for training camp in the United Kingdom. Accompanied by the regular men’s team captain, Ali Bleared, the team will leave on Sunday.
This is the second year in a row the trip was organized as part of the committee’s junior golf development program under the aegis of the Saudi-British Sports Cooperation Program signed in 1987.
Drab Golf Club hosted the first of two nine-hole tune-up tournaments for the team yesterday. The winner was Mansour Al-Mansour, 14, and the second of three Al-Mansour siblings who play the game. He carded a three-under 33. In second place was another junior golfer from Riyadh, Khaled Eddiweesh, 16, who posted a 35 followed by the most promising Abdul Rahman Al-Mansour with a 37. The long-hitting Abdullah Hussaini, 17, placed fourth and the lone Dammam player, Ryan Daham, 14, came in fifth on 49.
Newly-arrived British Ambassador William Patey, a veteran diplomat who has long been posted in the Middle East and speaks fluent Arabic, presented the prizes during the awards ceremony. Also in attendance at the ceremony were Saudi Golf Committee officials led by President Khaled Abunayyan, Tom Matthews of BAE Systems, administrator of the program and Saudi Golf Club manager Bouchaib El Jadiani. Yesterday was also the fourth day in the visit to the Kingdom of golf coach Andrew Greenbank, PGA golf professional at the Preston Golf Club in Lancashire, England, where the Saudi boys will have their two weeks of training, fitness and playing golf.
Greenbank thanked the SGC for giving him the opportunity to contribute in the junior golf development program of the country and in a gesture of appreciation presented Abunayyan with a memento.
“I thanked everyone for making me feel very welcome and be part of the program. There is a lot of work we can do. I’m proud for having been given the opportunity,” said Greenbank.
Of the Saudi game Greenbank said golf is new in Saudi Arabia and the challenge is that how far you can help the players in their development with professional coaching and advise. Greenbank said he hopes the Preston model is replicated in Saudi Arabia in which there are driving ranges, schools that build golf using a kit called Trigolf promoted by the UK Golf Foundation.
He said in the UK golf lessons are offered as PE subjects in schools and 10 out of the 100 enrolled take up golf seriously and that’s the time the clubs take them in to develop into fine players.
Greenbank said the standard of golf in Saudi Arabia has a lot of room for improvement with all the facilities available noting that in Riyadh alone there are five all-grass courses.
The five represent the best in the Saudi talent pool. A sixth junior and reputedly the best player of the lot, Jeddah-based Khaled Attieh, is unable to make the trip. He is in Montreal, Canada training on his own although he assured Belhareth he would be joining the group whenever possible.
After a round today at the Riyadh Golf Course, the team return to Dirab tomorrow morning for short game and putting lessons under Greenbank who returns to the UK tomorrow evening. He will be reunited with the boys on Sunday and oversee the team’s two-week training, described by Matthews as an improvement from last year as it will be handled by a professional, at the Preston Golf Club.
