RIYADH: Some of the biggest names in golf in the region will be coming down to Riyadh next week for the Saudi Oger Amateur Golf Championship at Dirab Golf Club.
The biggest tournament to be held at Dirab since the 28th Pan Rab Golf Championship in January 2008 was launched at a well-attended press conference Tuesday evening at the Radisson SAS Hotel Riyadh.
The tournament week starts with a practice day on Oct. 21. followed by a 36-hole competition over the next two days.
The event is open to all amateur golfers from all GCC countries as well as Lebanon and Jordan.
The organizers said 15 players from Bahrain led by the members of the national team are taking part. Golfers from UAE and Qatar have also confirmed participation with Kuwait set to send its entries Wednesday.
The event forms part of a campaign by the Saudi Golf Federation headed by president Khaled Abunayyan to promote golf in the Kingdom.
The sponsorship by Saudi Oger Co. Ltd. underlined the growing corporate support to the sport of golf in the country.
Dirab last hosted a national event in 2001 when Bahraini veteran golfer Nasser Yacoub won the 1st Saudi Arabian National Amateur Championship. He will be returning for next week’s tournament along with teammates from the national team Ahmad Mubarak and the father and son tandem of Abdullah Sultan and Sultan Abdullah.
To lead the Saudi challenge is Othman Almulla with Khaled Attieh, the former top Saudi junior player who has been moved up to the men’s team, expected to travel from Dubai where he is now based and join the event.
Abunayyan said tournament fees have been waived for members of the Saudi national team.
Limited slots are still open for the 140-man field, organizers said.
Royal Air Maroc, Almarai Company and Radisson Blu are the tournament co-sponsors.
Among those that attended the press conference were Mazen Fayed, director of corporate communications at Saudi Oger, Nasser Udin, chairman of Dirab Golf Committee and Fahad Almansour, Dirab Golf Committee member.
