RIYADH: As the weather improves and most of the members back from summer vacation Dirab Golf Club turns into a veritable beehive of activity in the coming months.

In a curtain-raiser to the busy season at the city’s premier golf club the August Monthly Medal was organized on Friday and among the winners was Dirab Golf Committee member Sue Lockwood, who is leaving the Kingdom for good.

In a fitting sendoff for herself, Lockwood won the Ladies Division title with a net score of 68.

“I’m absolutely thrilled,” said Sue who is set to leave the Kingdom for good with golfer-husband Geoff, Central Operations manager at Giant Stores, for Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean on their way to England.

Sue, with a 14 handicap, is looking forward to a life of retirement and, well, lots of golf with Geoff. “We will enjoy ourselves at Canary Islands before we return to our home country,” she said.

Another good player to be missed albeit he is expected to come to Dirab from time to time is Jeremy Haas, who left for France to pursue his golf career but not after winning the Best Gross crown on Friday.

The long-hitting Haas, a zero handicap golfer, shot a 2-under par 70 despite a bogey-bogey finish in his 35-35 round. The victory gave the 21-year old Haas the much-needed confidence when he enters Qualifying School for European Tour Sept. 16 to 19 at Golf de Moliets in Moliets, France. Haas whose father Jean Luc is a single-digit handicap golfer lives in Alsace region that borders Germany and Switzerland.

“I’m not too happy with my game today, but it’s getting better. I was 4-under going into the last two holes,” said Haas who last week played Dirab in 8-under with 11 birdies.

Haas said if he doesn’t make the European Tour via the Q-school he will join the European Challenge Tour, a developmental professional circuit run by the PGA European Tour with 32 tournaments in 23 countries.

Sam Montgomery, a 9 handicap golfer, won the First Division (0-10 handicap) with a 76. M. S. Kim was second on 79 and Garry Barbar third on 80.

The Second Division (11-18) battle was the most competitive with the three winners all scoring in the mid and high 60s. Eamon McCevoy, with a 16 handicap, posted the best net score of the day to win the division on 66 with Tariq Sardar and Mujeeb Minhas taking the second and third positions on countback after they tied on 69.

Abdulsalam Rahman won the countback for the Third Division (19-28) over Takashi Saito after they both shot 71s with Frenchman Kovaes in third place on 75.

The comebacking Ganet Chaplow finished second to Lockwood on 74 while Canadian Susan Mature claimed the third position on 75.

Korean S. D. Lee hit the longest drive in the men’s division and Chaplow in the ladies class. Noel Alipoyo, a senior cameraman with OR Madarat, took home the nearest to pin award. Michael Joly was the raffle prize winner.

The prize distribution ceremony followed the 18-hole full handicap stroke play event. The next big event, according to Dirab Golf Club Manager Bouchaib El Jadiani, is the Saudi National Day Texas Scramble golf tournament on Sept. 19. In October the Oasis Cup, a Ryder Cup-style match between Dirab Golf Club and Aramco Rolling Hills, and SABB Championship will be held followed by the Zahid Tractor Championship, Riyadh Cement Factory tournament, and Al-Salam Aircraft Championship in November, December and January next year.