RIYADH: Long-hitter Mark Duda relied on his hot putter when his long game soured to win the overall Best Gross title yesterday in the 2008 Volvo Golf Championship at Dirab Golf Club.
Sinking long distance putts, the 6-foot-5 tall Duda shot a 1-over 73 on nines of 35-38 to lead the winners in the full handicap 18-hole stroke play tournament sponsored by Zahid Tractor Co. Ltd.
“I’m not hitting the ball that good but my putting was special today,” said the American Duda of the US Air Force detailed at the USMTM (United States Military Training Mission) here.
Duda, a veteran golfer with 18 years of playing experience, birdied the sixth hole in a bogeyless front nine. He hit 14 greens and bogeys and 16 and 18 were the only bumps in an otherwise smooth round on a sunny, almost windless day.
Duda has been a member at Dirab for just three years and yet he already crashed the elite band of consistent winners.
Another golfer to show promise of joining the Dirab elites was Filipino Richard Gaas who complained of poor putting but managed to win the title in the First Division (0-10 handicap).
The 36-year old Gaas of Saudi Oger, with a 9 handicap, missed five birdie putts in the front nine and four more coming home and settled for a gross score of 82 though his net tally of 73 was good enough for the crown in the division. Korean M. S. Kim, who played off a zero handicap, put together a 78 to clinch second place while Thai Boonyuen Supoch, the SABB overall champion last month whose handicap was slashed to 5 from 12, carded a 79 for third place.
Pakistani Aijaz Naqshbandi, a 28 handicap golfer, submitted the best score of the day, a 67, to emerge the overall Best Net winner in the event that attracted 95 players.
For the second year in a row none won the Volvo car hole-in-one prize with Rolf Grybb just inches short of driving home the coveted vehicle, prompting A. K. Mai, branch manager Central Region at Zahid Tractor Automotive Division, to offer two Volvos for next year’s tournament.
Goran Anderson was the Second Division (11-18) winner on 70 with Steve Troop and another Pakistani, Mujib Minhas, taking the next two places via the countback after both players signed for 73.
Anderson carried a 16 handicap, Troop 11 and Minhas 17. Moiz Ahmed came through with a net 69 to rule the Third Division (19-28). Frenchman Daniel Gauvin, also of Saudi Oger, was second on 71 with Tariq Javed takine third place on 72. C. H. Lee, the lone competitor in the Ladies Division, was awarded a special prize after shooting an even par 72.
The awards for longest drive and closest to pin went to Keith Applegates and Grybb. Mai, who represented Yusof Zahid, Zahid Tractor Caterpillar Machinery Division (CMD) Central Region sales manager, presented the prizes to the winners at the prize distribution ceremony.
Khaled Abunayyan, president of Saudi Golf Federation and Dirab golf course owner, attended the prizegiving and thanked Zahid Tractor-Volvo for its continued support for the game of golf.
Dirab Golf Committee chair Naseruddin Siddiqi was also present as well as Dirab Golf Club Manager Bouchaib El Jadiani and Marketing Manager Andrea Corbett.
As the year 2008 draws to a close, Siddiqi said Dirab has so far organized 19 tournaments big and small, a record for the club.
