RIYADH, 14 May 2006 — Saudi national golf team rode a hot start to victory against Great Britain (Expat) golf team 13.5-10.5 in the Ryder Cup-style matches held at Dirab Golf Club over the weekend.
The two-day International Golf Challenge had a full complement of 12 players from each team. They played four-ball better-ball morning matches and afternoon foursomes on the first day Thursday and 12 singles matches on Friday.
Veteran Ali Balhareth captained the Saudi side and Clark Windross the British side that comprised resident golfers in the Kingdom in the fifth challenge match organized as part of the government-to-government agreement to foster cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Britain in the field of sports, signed in 1987. Saudi won the first three before a team of club golfers clinched the match for Britain in September last year.
The Saudis scored near a sweep of the morning four balls 5-1, as the pairs of Balhareth and Othman Al-Mulla, Mubarak Al-Ghamdi-Saad Al-Dosari, Mohammed Al-Khaldi-Omar Talal Al-Hariri, Fahad Al-Mansour-Faraj Al-Shammari and Zaid Al-Ammar-Saad Al-Otaibi posted victories over Windross-Garry Barber, Steve Bowden-Ron Thompson, Phil Scates-Al Crombie, Shane Sandeman-Fred Bazendale and Ian Holmes-Brian Crawford in that order.
The British averted a shutout when Ian Stewart-Spence Hawthorn beat Al-Gosaibi brothers Sattam and Abdulmohsen, and they rallied in the afternoon to win three and draw two foursome matches. The first day ended with Saudis in the lead, 7-5.
In a thrilling final day, Balhareth’s team survived a determined push by Windross and Co. to win the individual matches 6.5-5.5.
Al-Khaldi won all his matches to become the most successful Saudi player although the talented Al-Mulla finished unbeaten with one draw and earned bragging rights when he claimed the prized scalp of +2 handicapper Windross in the singles.
Al-Khaldi beat Sandeman in the singles to add to his victories in the foursomes with Hariri, who like Al-Mulla was also unbeaten as he drew with Baxendale, and four balls.
For the British side managed by Tom Matthews, it was Stewart who returned the perfect slate having won his match against Al-Shammari, and the foursomes and four balls with Hawthorn.
Otaibi was the other Saudi not to drop a point, winning his singles match against Holmes and that four balls in tandem with Al-Ammar with whom he also halved the foursomes point against Crombie-Crawford.
The longest drive awards went to the young Al-Mulla on the first day and Windross on the second day. Crombie took the closest to pin plum.
After a sumptuous lunch, the prize distribution ceremony was held. Khaled Ibrahim Abunayyan, Dirab course owner and president of Saudi Golf Committee, presented the prizes and thanked the participants and Mohammed Abunayyan, chairman of Abunayyan Group for helping make the event a success. Dirab Golf Club Manager Bouchaib Al-Jadiani and his staff also played key roles as the tournament hosts. Peter Waddell, BAE Systems’ manager who directs the sports cooperation program, attended the ceremony.
The Saudi national junior golf team to train in the UK were also introduced during the function in which they were presented with brand new golf sets by the SGC. The UK-bound players, ranging in age from 12 to 17, are Ahmed Ali Balhareth, Rayan Al-Daham, Khalid Attiya, Turki Al-Hussain, Khaled Eddiweesh, Abdullah Fahd Al-Hussain, Nawaf Al-Thunayyan, Mansour Al-Thunayyan, Turki Abul Aziz, Mohammed Abdul Aziz and Abdul Rahman Abul Aziz.
