RIYADH — The countdown to the inaugural Saudi Masters that will mark the arrival next month of the European Seniors Tour to the Kingdom has began at the weekend with a training session for the Saudi junior golfers playing in the pro-am event.
Set for March 19-21 the Saudi Masters will be played at the Dirab Golf Club, the pioneer all-grass course located 40 kilometers south west of Riyadh which had successfully hosted the 28th Pan Arab Championship late last month.
Preceding the tournament proper with a full field of 72 international professional golfers from all over the world is the pro-am scheduled March 17-18.
Dirab Golf Club Manager and PGA Tour professional Bouchaib El Jadiani said Dirab management is going all out in the preparations to ensure success of the tournament.
Along with Saudi national team player Fahad Al-Mansour Bouchaib supervised the training of the Saudi juniors namely Abdulrahman Al-Mansour, Abdullah Al-Hussain, Turki Al-Hussain, Faisal Salhoub and Ziyad Al-Hejailan. The top junior player, Khaled Attieh, whose golfing career is being fully supported by his parents Walid and Azza, especially traveled from Jeddah to join the training session.
Bouchaib said as many as 12 Saudi juniors from the key cities of Riyadh, Dhahran and Jeddah and local players are to be given priority participation in the pro-am.
In all there will be 150 amateurs with 75 to play on each day and 26 pros seeing action. To generate wider participation, Bouchaib said he will request clubs across the Kingdom to each nominate three players for the pro-am.
Saudi team captain Ali Belhareth and Mubarak Al-Ghamdi will be among the six Saudis that will play in the main draw with the pros, according to Bouchaib.
Bouchaib said Saudi Masters promoters Axem Sports Events and Dirab management are working in close coordination in the preparations.
