CAIRO, 30 November 2005 — Saudi Arabia do battle against the region’s best amateur golfers as they open today their high-profile campaign to try and win the Pan Arab Golf Championship at the Dreamland golf course here.
The Kingdom team were paired with Egypt and Tunis for the first two rounds. The opening ceremony was held to officially launch the 26th edition of the four-man team competition with the best three gross scores to count for each round. In addition, there is a net team event runs on the same score sheet results as the gross team event as well as gross individual and net individual prizes.
Arab Golf Federation President Khalid Abou Talib of Egypt welcomed the players and officials. Talking to Arab News he said he was looking forward to a successful tournament. “It’s important and great fun to have a nice competition between Bahrain and Egypt as they each won 10 championships. And there is Morocco, too. Let us see who among these teams will be holding the championship in the end,” said Talib.
Of the 14-member countries of the federation only Syria were unable to send a team. Everyone else participated during the march-past including Saudi Arabia who will be banking on the quartet of captain Ali Belhareth, Othman Al-Moualla, Ali Al-Sahli and Sattam Al-Gosaibi. Joining them at the opening ceremony were Saudi Golf Committee President and Dirab golf course owner Sheikh Khaled Abunayyan, delegation head Yousef Al-Mahfouz and SGC Secretary-General Ali Sohaim.
Abunayyan joined the team in the last nine holes at yesterday’s final practice round. The old warrior Belhareth, who has never missed the competition since its start here in 1975, was upbeat about the Kingdom’s chances. “I guarantee you if we stayed focused and keep the ball in play, we’ll bring home a good result that will surprise everyone,” he said.
The championship course par 72 layout is expected to play longer than 7,205 yards with the back tees having been adjusted farther back. The players also have to deal with the tricky, slow and sometimes uneven putting surface let alone the manmade lakes that surround a number of holes and trees dotting the course.
Accuracy will be a premium and risk-takers penalized in the management of the relatively flat but challenging course.
The US-based Al-Moualla, a 19-year old grip-and-rip type of player, tees off first for Saudi Arabia in the first round today at 10 a.m. along with the Ayman Al- Fergani of Tunis and Egyptian Said Farouk. The group in the 10.10 a.m. tee-off comprised Al-Gosaibi, Hassine Wellami and Memdouh El Ehikh of Tunis and Egypt, respectively. Sahli has been paired with Tunisian Saber Barhoumi and Egyptian Teymour Abul Kheir, while Belhareth, Tunis’ Maher A1-Fergani and Egypt’s Amr Abul Ela complete die flight of players among the three countries.
The UAE and Morocco are both fielding young teams and Emirati teener Khaled Youssef, the newly crowned Arab Under-18 champion, is among the players to watch in the tournament.
R&A is fully supporting the event. In addition to financial, technical support is also being extended by the golf governing body that runs the Open Championship.
Michael Attenborough, a member of the R&A Golf Development Committee, is here for the tournament along with his colleague and referee Kevin Barker. Abdulla Sultan and Sultan Abdulla are the father-and-son tandem from Bahrain. Youssef El Katami, from Kuwait, is the youngest player at 15. Friendship Cup, a tournament for team officials, will be played tomorrow at the Khatameya Heights Golf & Tennis Resort.
