Hariri was one in a clutch of Saudi players, led by national team coach Ali Balharith and including Ali Sahli, Fahad Al-Mansour, Faisal Salhab and newcomers Bandar Nawaf Al-Obain and Riyadh Muhammad Abouba, to tee it up on Friday under overcast skies.

Balharith said the Kingdom will send a team to the German Amateur Open July 21 to 24 then travel to Morocco for training camp in preparation for the Pan-Arab Championship in September in Morocco.

Working hard not only on his game but his fitness as well that saw him lose weight by 70 kgs., Hariri, with a 9 handicap, compiled 44 points in the first Stableford format competition of the year that attracted 120 players.

Hariri’s total is the equivalent of net 8-under 64 and gross score of 73 which says a lot about how much his game has improved. Hariri had nines of 21 and 23 points. He took advantage on the holes where he has a stroke to shoot net birdies for 3 points on 1, 2, 5, 9, 10, 13, 14 and 15.

In second place on 31 points was Rak Gi Lee with Balharith 38 points and Kamran Khan 36 rounding out the first four winners in the First Division.

Chris Ledwidge was the Second Division (10-18) winner on 42 points with Lance Jones second on 42 and Nadeem Mirza and Talal Sarieddine third on fourth after countback on 39.

Andy Ritchie, with 27 handicap, returned 41 points to take first place in Third Division (19-28). Fujita Toshihito and Jerry Doncarrolis, who played off 28 and 26 handicpa, came in second and third after countback on 38 with In Kyu Park taking the fourth position on 37.

The Ladies Division winners were Canadian Ruby Klawikowski 36 points, Myungoak Hwangbo 34, Liz Kennedy 31 and Madele Burger 31.

The skills competition had Gregory Green and Klawikowski winning the longest drive award for men’s and ladies and David Treadgold nabbing the prize for closest to the pin.

The winners received an assortment of golf merchandise in addition to trophies during the prize distribution ceremony in which Dirab Golf Committee chair Nasser Uddin Siddiqui thanked Yousef Zahid for facilitating the Zahid Tractor sponsorship. Also present at the prize giving was DGCC Golf Manager Bouchaib El Jadiani.

The top raffle draw prize of Callaway driver went to Dr. Patrick Kennedy. The others raffle winners were M. S. Kim (training putter), Green (Scorpio belt), Mark Davies, Tatsuo Ogawa (EFX wristband), Dustin Staab (TL umbrella), Hariri, Tariq Khan (cap), and Toshihito (Srixon carry bag).