RIYADH, 21 March 2008 — Guess who walked the fairways at two of the premier golf clubs in Riyadh. It’s European Tour professional Johan Skold. For golf oldtimers in the city Skold was the 14-year old Swedish boy who beat RGC golf professional Jun Legaspi in 1990 and son of Tosten Skold, project manager with ABV Rock Group in Buraidah. Back then city golfers play on sand courses (RGC and Riyadh Desert Golf Club), and it took a few more years before all-grass courses, led by Dirab Golf Club, sprouted like mushrooms on a rainy night.
Johan, now an athletic 6-footer who makes a living playing professional golf, was on a visit to Riyadh where he grew up and finished his high school studies. As any avid golfer would Johan jumped at the chance to play on the all-grass courses of Dirab Golf Club and RGC.
Johan, who was introduced to desert golf in 1988 in Riyadh, was very excited and pretty amazed at the rapid transformation of the golfing landscape in Riyadh, according to RGC Manager V.T. M. Rafi. “The courses in Riyadh are neat and challenging and comparable to the courses I play in Europe,” Johan was quoted as having told Rafi.
Johan earned his European Tour card in 203 after playing for five years on the European Challenge Tour. His best finish on the Tour was fifth place in the Wales Open. In 2000 Johan won the Nigerian Open and placed sixth in the Heineken Classic in Perth Australia.
Skold is trying to get back on the European Tour after losing his eligibility in 2007 when he started a family and built a house in Sweden. He has banked 700,000 euros in career earnings.
Before coming to Riyadh Skold played the Kenya Challenge Tour event in which he finished 10th. In two weeks’ time he will be traveling to Argentina for another Challenge Tour tourney. While in Riyadh Johan showed his wares as guest player during the ABV annual golf tournament. His father Tosten won the 36-hole Stableford format event with 75 points. Erban Benon was second with 73 points and Anders Lovemark third with 72 points.
Meantime, the RGC Monthly Open golf tournament unfolds today with another banner field seeing action. The shotgun-style tee-off is at 8 a.m.
Kingdom No. 1 Othman Almulla and Mubarak Al-Ghamdi, who are both from Dhahran, came down to Riyadh for the tournament.
