RIYADH, 19 September 2007 — Call it a job mulligan, or probably the grass at Dirab is greener and his golf buddies here are merrier, bank executive Abner Macapagal was lured back to the Kingdom two and a half years after returning to his native Philippines.
On Friday, a group of friends led by Rene Layug and Oscar Domingo, immediate past president and vice-president of the Filipino Golf Association (FGA), and Art Ubando organized a ‘welcome back’ tournament for Abner at the Dirab Golf Club.
“I’m happy to be back and playing again with old friends,” said Macapagal who was hired back at Arab National Bank as manager, international contracting unit under the corporate and merchant banking group.
Unable to play as much golf as he wanted due to the demands of the business he put up Macapagal will have to do a lot of catching up if he were to round back to his old competitive form.Angel Rodriguez won the event participated by 33 players and mounted in cooperation with Dirab Golf Club Manager Bouchaib El Jadiani, shooting a net score of four-under 68. Rodriguez, of Banque Saudi Fransi, played off 22 handicap.
Nigel Bennet, with a 23 handicap, settled for second place on countback after also scoring 68. Alvin Wilson, assistant general manager of the international contracting unit of the corporate and merchant banking group at ANB, carded a 71 to clinch the third position.
New Zealander Julian Bennet took fourth place over Edwin Añonuevo by countback after they tied on 72. Julian played off 12 handicap and Añonuevo off 9.
Casual as it was the tournament gave everybody a chance to have fun out on the course especially the winners. For Domingo, the fun was spoiled when disaster struck on the last three holes. And Ubando was left to rue the three birdie chances he failed to convert and the short par putts he missed.
