RIYADH, 26 March 2008 — If this were a regional tournament of some significance Saudi Arabia would have given powerhouse Bahrain the fits. Still, the virtual dress rehearsal for the upcoming GCC Championship that the Kingdom will host next month at the Saudi Golf Course offered a glimpse of how much the quality of the Saudi game has improved.
In a prodigious display of golf skills, Kingdom No. 1 Othman Almulla and veteran Ali Al-Sahli shot course record 4-under 69s on Friday in the March Monthly Open golf tournament at the Riyadh Golf Course.
The 69s were the lowest gross scores since the back nine and full 18 holes opened for play in November last year.
Almulla and Al-Sahli went back to the par-4 399-yard 18th hole to break the tie in a playoff. Almulla won when he deposited his second shot to within eight feet of the cup and two-putted for par and Al-Sahli hit his approach a few feet short of the green and missed his first putt for bogey.
The playoff victory gave Almulla the Best Gross title with Geoff Watson runner-up on 80 and Mubarak Al-Ghamdi in third place on 83.
Despite the loss to Almulla Al-Sahli who played the round of his life as he staked a claim for a spot on the national team for the GCC event clinched the Division A (handicap 0-14) crown with the best overall net score of 64. Sahli played off 4 handicap and Almulla carried a +3 handicap.
Almulla and Al-Sahli, both based in the Eastern Province, are two of the best players on the Saudi team. Almulla put Saudi golf on the map when he won the 2007 Red Sea and Pan Arab Amateur Golf Championship at Soma Bay Cascades Golf Club in Egypt in July. A veteran international, Al-Sahli captained the Saudi team that finished fifth in the 28th Pan Arab Golf Team Championship that the Kingdom hosted early this year.
In ideal conditions, Almulla scorched the front nine with four birdies for a 33 going out. On the signature par-6 11th hole Almulla missed an eagle putt from six feet but sank two more birdies on No. 14 and 16 against bogeys on No. 10 and 15 to come home at 36.
Al-Sahli was 1-over in the front nine but he caught fire on the last nine holes to shoot six birdies on holes Nos. 11, 13, 14, 16, 17 and 18.
Ray Chaplow finished runner-up to Al-Sahli on 73 and Ron Cowper wound up third on 76. The Division B (15-22) crown went to German Jurgen Rehfield who signed for a 70, while Thai Mana and Kim J. D. took the next two spots on 71 and 72.
The Division (23-28) which was played in Stableford format had American Rosal Arnold in first place on 40 points followed by Thai Phajon on 38 and Pakistani Khalid Raja on 37.
Smooth-swinging 12-handicapper Nicole Coatser was crowned the ladies champion after posting 39 points. Ganet Chaplow was runner-up on 37. Nicole’s husband Paul claimed the award for nearest to pin and Kamhran Khalid took the longest drive plum
Course owner Prince Faisal ibn Mohammed ibn Abdul Aziz Al Saud and RGC Manager V. T. M. Rafi distributed the prizes to the winners during the awards ceremony.
