There were story lines aplenty but it was John Morris and Morgan Mead that emerged big winners in the 2010 SABB Golf Championship in benign conditions as temperatures began to drop in Riyadh.

Morris, with a 24 handicap, claimed Best Net honors on 8-under 64 as he assembled a gross 88 on a day when sub-par rounds looked like peanuts for even those who rarely played the flat but challenging 6,905-yard layout.

Mead likewise played superb golf to shoot a 2-over 74 that gave him the Best Gross crown.

Among the day’s surprises were husband and wife tandem of Peter and Rita Dadzis won their divisions and Thai S. Boonyuen, who has not played tournament golf at Dirab for what seemed like ages,  took first place in the First Division (0-9). As if that was  not enough Filipino Noel Alipoyo played unbelievable golf and could have been in contention for Best Net title had his handicap of 16 not been adjusted to 13 after it was discovered to be not updated.

Alipoyo shot 80 in a round where he couldn’t seem to do anything wrong. After the adjustment, Alipoyo had a net 67 for second place behind Peter in the Second Division (10-18).

The 18 handicap Peter won with 7-under 65 from a gross score of 83 that was matched by Alistair McIlroy who had a lower handicap of 15 and took the third position on 68.

The big-hitting Boonyeun shot 75 and after his handicap of 8 was applied for a net 67 the First Division title was in his possession. Dan McLaughlan, also an 8 handicap, was second on 68 from a gross 76 while promising Saudi junior golfer Faisal Sahab placed third on 72 from a gross 79.

Gary Richardson ruled the Third Division (19-28) on   countback from Kenji Nita after both players tied on 67 with Murad Mirza taking third place on 68.

Mead carded nines of 38-36, mixing two birdies, two bogeys and one double bogey.

Morris was at 4-over 40 on the front side where he birdied the par-4 No. 5 while bogeying one, two and six and making double bgey seven on the ninth hole. He had a 48 coming home after a bogey-bogey finish.

Rita led the Ladies Division winners on 67 with Paromita Mukherjee and Liz Kennedy a distant second and third on 73 and 74.

The winners received in addition to the elegant trophies golf merchandise as prizes. The raffle draw prizes of Srixon driver, Callaway driver and Callaway metal wood went to Richard Bridgeford, Kamal Fareed and Tariq Javed.

SABB executives Karsten Stroyberg, CEO SABB Securities Limited, and Muhand Al-Swaied,  manager Marketing and Research Department, attended the  prize giving ceremony. Also present was Fahad Abunayyan, deputy GM of Abunayyan Group, who thanked SABB for its support of golf in the Kingdom noting that 2010 marked the eighth year SABB sponsored a tournament at Dirab.