JEDDAH, 14 January 2008 — Rising junior golf star Khaled Attieh gets his baptism of fire in an international competition when he leads Saudi Arabia’s second team in the 28th Pan Arab Golf Championship next week at Dirab Golf Club in Riyadh.
Arguably the best and most exciting in Saudi golf’s junior talent pool, Attieh is looking forward to the challenge.
“I am looking forward to it. I’m eager to play and represent my country,” Attieh told Arab News in an interview.
When Attieh tees it up carrying the national colors for the first time in an event of this magnitude he will be among a host of junior players vying for the Prince Faisal trophy for the Best Under 21 golfer in the competition set for Jan. 20-23. As the host country Saudi Arabia has the option to field two teams, the regular men’s and junior squads.
At 13 Attieh could be the youngest in the field. But make no mistake; he’s got a maturity and appreciation for the game that is far beyond his years.
Everything about the budding golf career of Khaled seemed to be happening so fast.
From a starry-eyed small kid Khaled has become a 5-foot-9 junior standout that owns one of the better swings hereabouts. He has lost about 5 to 10 excess poundage in his battle to stay fit and trim. In a period of six months he managed to bring down his handicap from 13 to 8. And all the while he has been winning titles and collecting trophies at tournaments in Dirab, where he is a member though he lives in Jeddah with his family. He posted a career-best score of 75, just three over on the flat but challenging Dirab layout, two months ago.
A scion of the prominent industrial family in the Kingdom, Khaled had been influenced to learn the game by his golf-playing parents Walid and Azza. After three and a half years the son, youngest in a brood of four, has become the pride and joy of the parents.
In his young mind the mild-mannered Khaled has no doubt about which career path to take. “Choose our own way. If you like golf stay. If you don’t find a liking for it then look for other options,” Khaled quoted his father as having told him.
In talking about his passion the name of world No. 1 Tiger Woods cropped up. “Yes, he’s my idol,” Khaled says and ticks Tiger’s routine off by heart: “Wakes up at 5 a.m. Runs for one hour, goes to the gym where he lifts weights. Takes breakfast. Does the driving range for three hours and then plays a fast 9 holes using a golf cart running at 50kph in one hour… etc.”
One of Khaled’s swing coaches, Australian Brett Sunders, a teaching pro who has clients all over the world, is friends with Tiger’s mentor Texan Hank Haney. The No. 1 rookie on the Japan tour, Korean Sang Ho-lee, is a Sunders protégé.
Along with Muhammad Hammami, a Tunisian pro who used to coach his country’s national teams (men’s and junior), Sunders conducted a three-week training camp for Khaled at Arabian Ranches Golf Club in Dubai.
“It helped all around. The training definitely improved my game. I am much more consistent. My scores are better and I am more confident,” says Attieh of his Dubai training, in which he works daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. He starts the day chipping for 1 1/2 hours. He hits the range where he spends another 1 1/2 hours after an hour of practice putting, takes lunch break, goes back chipping and caps his day with a practice round of 9 holes.
In July Attieh has had another training in Canada, a month after he played his first competition against the men during the Saudi-UK Ryder Cup-style matches at Dirab Golf Club. He never lost in three matches, winning the singles and completing the come-from-behind victory in the foursome alternate shot by holing a 15-foot birdie putt. Attieh and partner Saeed Al-Dossary drew the fourball better ball match against Pete Brich and Al Crombie.
In the afternoon foursomes against the same UK pair Attieh and Dossary rallied from three holes down with four to play en route to the victory. Attieh beat Crombie in the singles for an unblemished record in the event. At the British International School in Jeddah, where he is in Year 8, Attieh says he gets a lot of ribbing from his classmates. “Golf is for old people,” they tell him. “Just come play and then you’ll see,” he shoots back. But I kid you not, the kid’s gonna go places in the wonderful world of golf. Stay tuned as Attieh tests his mettle in the Pan Arab event and the British Open for juniors next June. Of the four handicap categories in the Open, Attieh says he will enter the 4-9 category.
