RIYADH, 18 April 2008 — Kingdom No. 1 Othman Almulla equaled the course record of 4-under 69 to share the center stage with Bahrain in the first round yesterday of the 12th GCC Golf Championship at the Riyadh Golf Course here.

After a gap of five years this tournament featuring the best amateur golfers from the six GCC countries returned with all too familiar scene — Bahrain way ahead of the pack.

With three players whose scores counted toward the team total hitting in the low 70s, Bahrain seized an 11-stroke lead in the gross team competition.

Abdullah Sultan shot a 2-under 71, Nasser Yacoob compiled 73 and Sultan Abdullah returned 74 to give powerhouse Bahrain a first-round total of 218.

Hamad Mubarak, the individual winner when the tournament was last held in UAE in 2003, had a 77 that did not count.

Almulla enjoyed a near-flawless round on a course that has been increasingly kind to him to set the pace in the individual race and practically carry Saudi Arabia on his slender shoulders in the team event.

Team captain Ali Balharith destroyed an otherwise solid round with bogeys on each of the last four holes and Ali Al-Sahli visited the water hazard three times as they shot matching 80s that counted along with Othman’s 69.

Though his 82 did not count Eastern Province-based Saudi Aramco retiree Mubarak Al-Ghamdi had his moments when he eagled the most difficult hole, par-4 No. 6.

Al-Ghamdi holed his 5-iron second shot from 160 yard for an eagle two. UAE’s Saeed Malik scored the second eagle of the day when he also holed out in two from the desert terrain on the par-4 ninth.

The Kingdom totaled 229 after the first day to become the team with a chance at upset over Bahrain with two rounds still to play in the event.

UAE, led by the 1-2 punch of Khalid Yousuf and Ahmed Mosharreck, came third on 235, six adrift of the hosts, while Oman and Kuwait finished the day in fourth and fifth place respectively on 237 and 256.

Almulla, who shares the course record with teammate Al-Sahli, started fast with consecutive birdies on the second and third holes. Another birdie on No. 6 gave Almulla a 3-under 33 in the front nine. He went 5-under with two more birdies on 11 and 12, dropped a shot on the next hole but gained it back with a two-putt birdie on the par-5 14.

Almulla was well on his way to breaking the course mark until the winds intervened and he bogeyed No. 18.

“My main goal was to make a good start, put myself in good position. I am pleased with my round today.

Though there are times it’s tough to stay focused I am happy how I played,” said Almulla.

“My main goal for the rest of the tournament is to trust myself. I am very very proud of my country. I hope one day my country would be proud of me,” he said.

Of Bahrain’s chances of extending their reign to 12 years, the veteran Sultan, who mixed six birdies and two bogeys, said “It’s still a long way to go.” In the net team competition, Oman took a one-stroke lead over Saudi Arabia with UAE in third.

Oman totaled 221, Saudi 222, and UAE 226. In the junior championship being introduced for the first time, Jeham Jasim and Ali Mufleh tallied a matching 75s and Sager Al-Noami added 81 to give Qatar a leading total of 231 in the gross team event.

Saudi Arabia came second on 245 thanks to 81 by Abdullah Al-Hussein and a pair of 82s from Khaled Attieh and Khaled Eddiweesh.

The tournament major sponsor is Attieh Group with support from Al-Safi Danone. RGC Manager V.T.M. Rafi heads the working committee of the 54-hole clambake that ends tomorrow.