RIYADH: Filipino Rudy Pranga played good golf to post one of his best rounds as he led the winners at the start of the 2010 season during the Dome Engineering Open Golf Tournament at the Riyadh Golf Club on Friday.
In pleasant, calm conditions Pranga put together a sparkling net score of 68 from his gross of 82 to win the Division A (0-14 handicap) title by one stroke from Indian national Aftab Ahmed. Pranga also nabbed the nearest to pin plum.
Pranga, with a 14 handicap, shot nines of 42-39, overcoming a bad start with a triple bogey on the sixth hole. He made bogey on seven but then steadied the ship the rest of the way to steer clear of the pack.
Ahmed, also a 14-handicap golfer, tallied 41-42 as he came up with a solid round of 83 on the day despite being only a weekend golfer because of his heavy work schedule.
“I am very happy with the way I played. I was not expecting to win but I enjoyed the game and the group with me,” Ahmed said.
Another active FGA member like Pranga, Resty Sibug, came in third on 72. Sibug, one of the fast improving players who managed to bring down his handicap from 28 to 10 in little less than two years, had nines of 37-45 for a gross 82.
The first major event of the new year saw the Norwegian husband and wife tandem of Kunt and Anne Bjornstand claim Division B (15-21) and Division C (22-28) titles. Kunt, a 20 handicap, signed for winning net score of 68 and his wife had 41 points in the Stableford format division.
Briton Ed Bulkely came second to Kunt on 72 and Cuban Ali Hernandez third on 74. Jett Banke Jorgenson and Malaysian A. Rahman rounded out the first three winners on 39 and 38 points in Division C in the tournament sponsored by Dome Engineering and Construction Company.
Winning the Best Gross crown on 81 was Canadian Marty Cowel, a former manager at Arizona Golf Resort.
Dome representatives Eugenio H. de Azevedo and Mohammed Al Saawy were impressed with the successful staging of the tournament that attracted 110 players. Present during the awards ceremony were RGC’s CEO Prince Faisal bin Mohammad bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, and General Manager Yusuf Eddiweesh.
RGC’s Golf Director V.T.M Rafi, who was assisted by Jeya Karan in running the tournament, thanked the sponsors and players for supporting the event and announced the next monthly tournament will be held on Feb. 12. Interested players may call RGC at 810-2444 Ext 221.
