Filipino Richard Gaas won the contest of the big boys (read single-digit handicap players) and Scotsman Alan Reid enjoyed success in his first tournament at RGC in calm conditions.

The pin placements were golfer-friendly, too resulting in not a few low rounds including a 7-under 66 and 67 by Mark Davis and Korean Ang Sang-jun, who took the first two positions in Division B (15-21 handicap).

Noel Bautista, led a 1-2 Filipino finish in  Class C (22-28) Stableford format competition while  Ebrahim Zailon and Howard Laurente completed a big day for the Filipinos by both placing second runner-up in the Division A (0-14) and Division B.

Gaas, filling in the slot vacated by compatriot Jake Infante who failed to show up for the 7 a.m. tee time, shot a solid 1-under 72 on the rolling layout to claim Best Gross honors.

Making the win truly special for Gaas was the fact that the tough 40-man field of single-digit handicap golfers included plus 1 handicap and taekwondo master M. S. Kim and scratch player Shane Kennely.

Playing off a 4 handicap at RGC, Gaas continued to enjoy a rich vein of form mixing five birdies and four bogeys in a tidy round. He was 1 under at the front nine and even par coming home.

Only four months into his job in Riyadh, Reid, an experienced golfer,  took out a membership with RGC and promptly added his name to the list of winners.

A 10 handicap, Reid won Division A on countback from Korean Chul Hong-kim after both players tied on a net 70. Reid who had  a gross 80 (39-41) could have shot a lower score if not for two “silly” double bogeys on holes 1 and 10.

Zailon, with a 9 handicap, failed to make par saves on a number of occasions as he rounded out the first three winners in the division on 71.

Laurente managed to make the top three with a gross 84 (40-44) despite a horrendous 8 on No. 13 and a bogey on 12,  his finishing hole,  when he missed a two-feet putt.

Bautista’s 43 points in winning Division C was the equivalent of 7-under in medal play. Three points back in second place was David Lloyd Bantug, a fourth grader at Elite International School and plays left handed like his father Severino Bantug Jr. In third place on 39 points was Briton John Wood.

Younk Young carded 44 points and Hyun Sook Kim had 40 in a 1-2

Korean finish in the Ladies Division where Indian Paromitha Mukherjee came in third on 39 points.

Joe Pacatan claimed the prize for nearest to the pin.

The event sponsored by Lurpark Co. attracted 120 players, according to RGC Golf Director V. T. M. Rafi who thanked the participants and Lurpak executives Product Manager Vagn Aage Jensen, Marketing Manager Fadi Asker and Production Manager Hani Kabbara during the awards ceremony. Helping Rafi run the show was Jayakaran and Val Navarro.

Rafi said the course has been temporarily closed to make way for the overseeding of the greens. The procedure is being made to put the course in top shape for the next major event, DSCA (Down Syndrome Charitable Association), to be held Oct. 20-22.