RIYADH: Richard Gaas played the round of his life to win overall Best Gross title in the 1st Annual Planetsky Solutions Golf Championship 2010 at Dirab Golf and Country Club on Friday.
Gaas shot a career best 5-under 67 on the flat but challenging par-72 layout as the Filipino hotshot duplicated his big victory during the SABB Golf Championship last October. His previous best was a 68 which he set back home in the Philippines.
“My game was unbelievable. Everything was perfect from tee to green,” the wiry Gaas told Arab News in an interview.
“Everyone was stunned when my name was called out,” said Gaas of his victory.
Nailing shots like they were guided missiles, Gaas hit all greens, except No. 3, in regulation to shoot nines of 33-34.
After a bogey on three Gaas recovered with a birdie right on the next hole and went 1-under with another birdie on the eighth before he hit eagle on the par-5 9th when his chip shot from the fringe of the green found the cup to go 3-under going out.
Gaas, who works at Saudi Oger Ltd., never dropped a shot on his way home, hitting birdies on 15 and 18.
Saudi junior golf standout Turki Hussain was equally hot on a perfect day for golf, as he claimed Best Net honors in the 2010 season-opening tournament that attracted a full field of 120 players.
Hussain, with a 19 handicap, broke 90 with an 86 for a winning net score of 5-under 67.
Bahraini Khaled Salem, a 3 handicap golfer, edged out Saudi national team member Fahad Al-Mansour for the First Division (0-10 handicap) title with New Zealander Julian Bennett, who played off 7 handicap, in third place on 74.
Salem tallied 72 in the full handicap event to Al-Mansour’s 74.
The Second Division (11-18) crown went to 18 handicap Alistair McIlroy who had the second best net score of 68. Kamal Fareed checked in at 69 for second place, while Mark Campbell came third on 70.
Gary Richardson, John Morris and Shin Yong Gi were the first three winners in Third Division (19-28). They posted winning scores of 69,74 and 76 in that order.
Karen Bridgeford was the Ladies Division winner on 72. Japanese Mami Tsukuda was second on 74 and Yurika Hoshino third on 78.
Winning longest drive awards were George Mackay in the men’s and Tsukuda in the ladies division, while veteran Saudi golfer Ali Balharith took the nearest to pin plum.
Along with the main prizes of golf merchandise the items raffled off were nothing to sniff at: Ping G-10 driver went to Jukka Kovisto, Ping staff bag with Dirab logo to Nadeem Mirza, Ping Anser putter to Tsukuda, Paragon golf bag to Andrew Makenzi and Greg Norman straw hats to Jonathan Hearn and Yoshio Kanamoto.
The top brass from tournament sponsor Planetsky Solutions and QLik View namely Chairman of the Board Abdullah Alfouzan, CEO Rabie Fares and VP Sales International Market Rabah Krouchy handed over prizes to the winners assisted by DGC Manager Bouchaib El Jadiani.
Also present during the prize distribution ceremony were Mohammed Abunayyan, chairman of Ibrahim Abunayyan Sons Group; and Deputy General Manager Fahad Abunayyan.
