RIYADH: Veteran Bahraini golfer Abdullah Sultan took 12 hours to reach Riyadh as he lost his way in the overland trip from Bahrain, denying him a practice round on the eve of the tournament.
Yesterday, he navigated himself well around the Riyadh Golf Club course to grab the lead after the first round in the DSCA Open 2008 golf tournament.
“I played a great front nine to go two under. My last nine holes, it was up and down,” said Sultan after shooting a 1-over 74 at the vanguard of a Bahraini juggernaut in the Best Gross race of the 36-hole stroke play competition.
“The greens were very nice. But pin placements were tough though I still knew the course basically after playing it in April for the 12th GCC Championship,” added Sultan whose son Sultan Abdullah and cousin the legendary Nasser Yacoub are among those at the top of the leaderboard.
Sultan drove the green on par-4 No.8 and was left with a tap-in for birdie after his first putt stopped just two feet from the cup.
He also sank birdies on the third and six holes. Three putts on 18, 14 and 10 were the only blots in an otherwise tidy round for Sultan, who is pushing 51 but still giving players practically half his age a run for their money. Young Welshman Daniel Gizzi gate-crashed the Bahraini party to shoot 77 in a tie with three others and three strokes adrift of Sultan.
Hamed Salem, also of Bahrain, Sultan and Yacoub tied Gizzi with another young golfer, Pakistani Omar Khan, one stroke further back on 78.
And Kingdom No.1 Othman Almulla? A fat 10 on No.14th, where he found the water three times, ruined his round to be also on 78, the same card submitted by his discoverer and team captain of the Saudi national team Ali Balharith.
“I feel good at my game, but I’m a little disappointed how I let five shots go in one hole. But I promise there should be some fireworks tomorrow. I’m excited RGC is putting on a great tournament for a great cause for the children with Down Syndrome,” said Almulla.
A perfect golfing weather produced three sparkling net scores of 61 but the shots of the day belonged to Filipino Danny Naval and Norwegian lady golfer Annie Bjornstand who both made eagles.
Bjornstand eagled No.1 and Naval earned the first eagle of his career on the 16th hole.
Bjornstand joined fellow lady golfer Ganet Chaplow and Craig Darling in the trio that tallied 61 in the Best Net division.
About a hundred players teed of in the morning and afternoon in yesterday’s first round with the last group finishing in gathering darkness.
The sponsors in the fund-raising event for the benefit of Down Syndrome Charity Association are Almarai Company, EADS Defense and Security, Wallan Motors, Clear Trail and ETI.
The awards ceremony will follow the final 18 holes of play today, according to RGC Manager V.T.M. Rafi.
