RIYADH: Boonyuen Supoch ended a two-year title drought at Dirab Golf Club in style, shooting one of his best rounds to win the overall title in the 2008 SABB Golf Championship on Friday.
Without a victory since 2006, Thai businessman Boonyuen put together a 3-over 75 in a prodigous display that was topped only by his career-best 74 at Dirab.
That gave Boonyuen, 52, a former kickboxer married to a Filipino, the overall best net crown at 9-under 63 after the countback over David Bartlett as well as the Second Division (11-18 handicap) title in the 18-hole monthly medal event. Boonyuen played off 12 handicap and Bartlett, who settled for second place in the division, carried 19 handicap. Bertil Sandstrom, with a 17 handicap, took the third position on 67.
“I was very lucky. But overall I played good golf,” Boonyuen told Arab News in a telephone interview.
Luck indeed played a part in Boonyuen’s game. His drive on No. 10 was heading out of bounds to the right when the ball ricocheted off a tree into the fairway. His second shot landed in a greenside bunker. He went up-and-down and made the putt for par.
On the treacherous par-5 13 with the pin tucked to the back of the green, Boonyuen was on in two but the ball rolled back down the fairway and his 35-foot chip shot narrowly missed the cup. Birdie. Wielding a hot putter, he again birdied the next two holes and bogeys on 16 and 18 put Boonyuen on 1-over 37 coming home. Boonyuen made a long birdie putt on the first hole. After a par on the second hole he dropped shots with three consecutive bogeys from No. 3, parred the next two and had luck once again on No. 8 where his ball was barely out of the water hazard. A regulation par on No. 9 had Boonyuen going out in 38.
Boonyuen was so good on the day that if a grand slam were awarded he could have won hands down as his gross score was even better than the 77 that Mark Duda posted in clinching the overall Best Gross crown.
For his feat, Boonyuen received a Titleist 10.5 S28 staff bag, gift voucher of SR1,500 courtesy of sponsor SABB and the overall champion trophy.
Eric Liquigan, enjoying a rich vein of form, led a 1-2 Filipino finish in the First Division (0-10). The 7-handicap Liquigan won by countback over compatriot Richard Gaas, with a 9 handicap, after both players shot a net score of 75. Donal Lynch claimed third place on 76.
Another Filipino, 24-handicap Gil Verano, ruled the Third Division (19-28) after posting 69 with Joseph Bidenbach and Moiz Ahmed taking the next two spots on 70 and 71.
Korean Chan Hwi Lee was the Ladies Division winner on 67. Canadian Sue Mature and Flore Bouzanne rounded out the first three winners on 72 and 73. The awards for the longest straight drive went to Garry Barber in the men’s division and Mariko So in the ladies class. Sandy Gupta won the prize for nearest to pin. Jan Hamren won the prize of Titleist staff bag in a raffle draw.
SABB executives Jehan Ismail and Mansoor Tirmzi, who are both golfers, handed out the prizes to the winners during the prize distribution ceremony.
