RIYADH: There are two more tournaments before the 2008 season ends at Dirab Golf Club but Mark Duda looks to have another good year as he won back-to-back tournaments in convincing fashion.
The long-hitting 6-foot-5 American on Friday secured the 2008 Stroke Play Club Championship title a week after winning the Volvo Golf Championship, shooting a two-day total of 155 to emerge the Best Gross winner. On top of this Duda has had a string of victories and his Club Championship win was his second in a row.
Duda, an Air Force man who ends his tour of duty in two months’ time with the USMTM (United States Military Training Mission) in Riyadh, played solid golf on the second day with a 3-over 75 to go with his opening round of 80 as he finished five strokes clear of Saudi national team player Fahad Al-Mansour who totaled 160 from rounds of 71 and 79.
Six strokes further back in third place was Thai Somchit Nakhong who hit a pair of 83s for a 166 aggregate.
Pakistani Tariq Javed, with a 20 handicap, won by two strokes from 17 handicap Rony Lidman for the Best Net crown with Japanese Eiji Akito taking third place. Javed was 4-under on his handicap after firing a gross 88 on the first day, which put him in position for victory. He had a 94 on the second day and totaled 142 net to edge out Lidman who tallied 144 from a gross score of 178 (85-93). Akito, a 19 handicap, finished one stroke further back on 145 from 183 gross (92-91).
In the Ladies Division, the duo of C. H. Lee and Mitsuyo Saito emerged champion and runner-up in both the Best Gross and Best Net categories with totals of 185 and 151 and 194 and 160 respectively.
In a double awards ceremony winners in the 2008 Men’s Match Play Club Championship were also presented their prizes at the clubhouse by Dirab Golf Club Manager Bouchaib El Jadiani. To borrow a Masters tradition at the Augusta National Golf Club where champions wear the symbolic Green Jacket Duda and Kang both were draped the traditional Saudi cloak during the awards ceremony.
D. S. Kang, a Korean diplomat who plays off 17 handicap, beat Javed on the first extra hole after the Match Play final was tied after 18 holes. The Match Play started about one and a half months back with a 16-man draw. On his way to the final Kang beat 2007 champion Lebanese Talal Sarieddine, Francis Gracia and Duda, while Javed in his half of the draw defeated Mujib Minhas, Thai Boonyuen Supoch and Filipino Eric Liquigan.
The Wartsila Golf Championship next Friday is the final monthly medal event. All the monthly champions then play the season-ending Battle of Champions tournament in the second week of January next year.
