RIYADH: Saudi national team standout Ali Al-Sahli played steady golf to win the Best Gross title in the August Monthly Medal golf tournament at the Riyadh Golf Club off Gassim highway near Riyadh.
Driving all the way from the Eastern Province, Al-Sahli happily discovered the trip was well worth it as his game came together to shoot a 1-over par 74 on the rolling layout and win by two strokes over the long-hitting 20-year old Frenchman Jeremy Haas.
Al-Sahli, who shares the course record of 4-under 69 with Kingdom No. 1 Othman Almulla, carded nines of 38-36. Consecutive birdies on the seventh and eighth holes put Al-Sahli back in the hunt after he had bogeyed Nos. 1 and 4 and double bogeyed the fifth hole. He finished 1-under coming home with birdies on 14 and the signature island green on 17 against a bogey on the 13th hole.
The affable Haas highlighted his round with an eagle on the par-6 11th against a lone bogey on 13 to also go minus one coming in. But a bad start that saw zero handicapper Haas drop shots with double bogeys on the first two holes and a bogey on 6 pretty much worked against the chances of the lanky golfer who signed for a 76 and settled for the first runner-up prize.
Taekwondo master M. S. Kim, another in a line of single-digit handicap golfers in the city playing in the group with Sahli, Haas and Dr. Shawkath Ragib, was the second runner-up in the Best Gross category on 77 (39-38).
South African Mark Campbell ended his chase for a victory and a string of runner-up finishes when he won the Division A (0-14) crown. A 12-handicap golfer, Campbell compiled 71 to finish one stroke clear of Filipino Edwin Añonuevo who took the first runner-up position after countback from Scottish Ron Cowper after they tied on 72.
Sam Montgomery, with a 15 handicap, ruled Division B (15-22) as he returned the best net score of 67. Indian golfer Irfan Mufti and Filipino Ben Torrefiel rounded out the top three winners in the division on 68.
The Stableford format Division C title went to Knut Bjonstand of Norway after he totaled 42 points with Craig Darling and Jun Rosado finishing second and third after yet another countback on 38 points.
The top three Ladies Division winners were Claire Hunter, Anne Bjorstant and Sue Mature.
Gord McIlmoyle captured the longest drive and New Zealander Julian Bennet the nearest to pin award. Tony Lizardo was the lucky raffle-draw prize winner. There were a total of 96 golfers who turned out for the event, as the weather gradually improves, according to
RGC Manager V. T. M. Rafi who presented prizes to the winners along with Phil Jenkins, Jeyakaran and Sheik Haroon.
The next big event lined up at RGC, Rafi announced, is the DSCA Open, a two-day tournament set for Oct. 30 and 31. The Down Syndrome Charity Open tournament actually begins with a practice round on Oct. 29.
