The talented Saudi national team standout added another trophy to his growing collection when he won the Best Gross honors on countback from Korean taekwondo master M. S. Kim during the September Monthly Open Golf Tournament at Riyadh Golf Club.

The long-hitting Salhab and Kim both finished the 18-hole individual stroke play tournament on 3-over 75 in calm weather conditions.

“My score could have been better if not for some silly mistakes,” said Salhab, one of the finest ball strikers the Kingdom team ever produced.

The victory came a week after he teamed with Turki Hussain for second place in the 2011 Saudi National Day Golf Tournament, a two-ball better-ball Texas Scramble format competition, at Dirab Golf Club.

The 16-year-old Salhab, a 10th grade student at American International School in Riyadh, is enjoying a banner 2011 season with a total of six trophies thus far that included victories in the Qatar Airways Open in January and Pakistan Day Golf Tournament in March and second place in the Fuchs Golf Championship in June.

Salhab shot nines of 38-37 in a round that was highlighted by an eagle-two on the par-4 No. 3 where his drive found a bunker to the right of the fairway. He then hit a 60-degree wedge over the flag, the ball rolling back in the hole for a two.

Salhab had four bogeys to go 2-over on the front side. He birdied his first hole on No. 11, bogeyed 12 and 14 then parred the rest of the holes for a 1-over on the back nine.

Graham Gunn, an 11 handicap player from Amex, won Division A (handicap 0-14) after shooting a net score of 69 from a gross 80. South African Roy Evans, general manager at MAX, also returned a 69 but lost on countback to settle for second place, while Filipino Ador Laxa was third on 70 from a gross 83 (41-42) and 13 handicap.

German Ralf Chiffer was the third player to shoot 69 as he ruled Division B (15-21) with Korean C. Y. Kim second on 73 and Pakistani Farooq Saeed third on 75. The 21-handicap Chiffer tallied nines of 49-41 for a gross score of 90.

Filipino boys David Lloyd Bantug, 11, and Rem Sibug, 13, clinched the first two places in the Stableford format Division C (22-28) with 43 and 41 points. Third place went to Kapila Nanavakkara on 38 points.

Riyadh Golf Course sponsored the tournament. Meantime, RGC Director of Golf V.T.M. Rafi said a major tournament, Volvo Challenge Amateur Open, will take place on Nov. 16-18. It is open to all amateur golfers from Saudi Arabia and the GCC, Rafi said.