RIYADH, 13 January 2006 — Rasheed Ali, Kamal Fareed, Ashraf Jallu and Jum Sook-song each won return air ticket to any point in Europe courtesy of Swiss Air and Lufthansa after winning in their respective divisions during the December Monthly Medal Tournament at the Dirab Golf Club course here.
Golfers who tried their luck in the 18-hole tournament crossed the 120-mark, and benign conditions at the par-72 layout yielded a slew of sub-par rounds including a pair of six-under par 66s posted by Indian Fareed and Pakistani Jallu.
Fareed, an 18-handicapper, won by five strokes over Korean H. S. Kho in Second Division (handicap 11-19) and Jallu pipped Filipino Senan Angara by two shots in Third Division (20-28).
Ali, who played off 8 handicap, beat Faraj Alshammari via the countback after both playes were tied on 70 net score in the First Division (0-10), while Jum also won the Ladies Division on countback over Ganet Berta. They both signed for a 71 with Lily Bullar in third place at 75.
Long-hitting Briton Clark Windross, with a zero handicap, fired a three-over par 75 to claim Best Gross honors in the tournament sponsored by Swiss Air and Lufthansa and supported by Radisson SAS Riyadh Hotel. Dirab Golf Committee Chairman Tom Mathews thanked the sponsors, among them, Swiss Air General Manager Koller rols and Radisson SAS GM Benamar Mohammed who were both present during the awards ceremony.
Filipino Eric Liquigan, with an 8 handicap, rounded out the First Division top three winners with a 73. Ian Holmes matched Kho’s score of 70 but had to settle for the second runner-up prize in the Second Division when he lost in the countback. John Davies clinched third place on 69. The longest drive awards went to M.S. Kim and Berta and the closes to pin plum to Ruby K.
Meantime, Dirab Golf and Recreation Center Golf Division Manager Bouchaib El Jadiani announced that the Saudi qualifying for the Belle Mare Plage Challenge Cup 2005-2006 will be held on Jan. 27.
The six winners in the tournament will advance to the final round at the Creek Golf Club on May 6 in Dubai where they will play against the rest of Gulf qualifiers for the chance to win a 10-day trip to the luxurious Belle Mare Plage Resort in Mauritius. Entries will close on Jan. 25 at 5 p.m., according to Bouchaib.
