RIYADH, 26 November 2007 — Everyone took aim at the hole-in-one prize, a gleaming Volvo car 2008 model. Somebody did shoot an ace — on the wrong hole — to miss the prize worth SR179, 000 on Friday in the Zahid Tractor Golf Championship 2007 at Dirab Golf Club here.

Playing conditions were tough indeed with not even 10 players breaking par on the par-72 layout made more difficult by a higher first cut of rough in addition to the changes and improvements in the course setup.

As the majority in the field of 110 players struggled in the full handicap 18-hole stroke play competition a Korean trio led by M. S. Kim cornered the top prizes in their divisions.

But veteran golfer Ronny Lidman was left to rue his bittersweet feat. He aced the No. 16, which at 185 yards even played longer than the No. 7 where the Volvo beauty had been parked near the tee-box.

According to Dirab Golf Club Manager Bouchaib El Jadiani, Lidman had had a similar miss of the hole-in-one prize 10 years ago. Instead of the Volvo, Lidman had to settle for the special prize of a Callaway golf bag.

Kim, a professional tae kwon do instructor, navigated the Dirab course in 1-over 73 to claim Best Gross honors.

Ali Al-Sahli justified his inclusion as the fourth man on the Saudi national golf team for the 28th Pan Arab Championship to be hosted by the Kingdom in January next year by winning the First Division (0-9) crown.

A 6-handicap, Al-Sahli posted a net score of 2-under 70 to win by four strokes over Edward Chary 74. Mark Duda, who clinched the overall title in the 2007 Club Championship and SABB Golf Championship, took the third position in 75 to mark the first time he entered a tournament as a scratch golfer.

Koreans James Shin, with a 14 handicap, and D.S. Kang shot a matching 68s to win the Second Division (10-18) and Third Division (19-28), while Canadian Sue Mature ruled the Ladies Division on 70 and Arthur Parcevaux the Junior Division on 75.

Brian Crawford finished second to Shin on 69 with Tariq Syed Khan a stroke further back in third place on 70. John Davis and Filipino Cesar Rosario were the second and third placers behind the 26-handicap Kang on countback after both players tallied 70s.

Ganet Chaplow, back in competition after a maternity leave, and Sue Lockwood claimed the second and third places also via the countback after they tied on 73 with another player Inke Voglaar, who missed out on the prizes. Hestia Maillet and Khalid Eddiweesh rounded out the junior winners on 76 and 77 respectively. Duda and Chaplow snared the awards for longest drives in the men’s and ladies division, while promising Saudi junior golfer Mansour Al-Mansour took home the closest to pin award. Ely Corpuz was the raffle prizewinner.

Yousuf Talal Zahid, regional sales manager at Zahid Tractor CMD Central Region, and Fahd Mohammad Abunayyan, deputy GM at Abunayyan Group, attended the awards ceremony that followed the buffet lunch and competition.

Meantime, El Jadiani said Nasser Udin Siddiqi, of Riyadh Cement Compnay, took over as chair of Dirab Golf Committee from Tom Matthews, who has left the Kingdom for good. Upon instructions from Dirab course owner and Saudi Golf Committee President Khaled Abunayyan Siddiqi will serve out the remainder of Matthews’ term until April 2008.