RIYADH: Kingdom No. 1 Othman Almulla is not about ready to give up on a seemingly indifferent season.
Taking over where the Bahrain duo of Mohammad Dhiab Alnaami and Nasser Yaqoub had left off, Othman mounted a back nine charge to seize a one-stroke lead with a 1-under 72 after the first round of the DSCA Open 2009 golf tournament at Riyadh Golf Club on Thursday.
An eagle 4 on RGC’s signature par-6 11th hole set the tone for the 23-year old Almulla on a drama-filled day where at least four players got a taste of the lead.
That enabled Othman to cut UAE No. 1 Ahmed Al-Mushareck’s lead by one, and he was finally in the lead when Mushareck dropped shots on 13 and 14.
Almulla, who had nines of 37-35, and Mushareck both dumped their second shots into the water on the par-5 14 but the Saudi kept his one-stroke lead when he made a brilliant par-save from just off the green, while the Emirate made bogey.
After a bogey on 15 briefly dropped Almulla to a share of the lead with Yaqoub and Alnaami at even par Almulla holed in a 12-footer for a birdie on the par-4 16th.
Mushareck, a 19-year old well built Emirati whose father and two brothers are all golfers, forged three-way tie for second on 73 with Alnaami and Yaqoub with a birdie from about 10 feet at the par-3 17th.
His work for the past year with American swing coach Claude Harmon III in Dubai finally beginning to bear fruit, Almulla played solid golf in cool overcast conditions.
“I am finally seeing the good results of the lessons I’m doing with my coach in Dubai. From here on I hope to continue to turn my game around having worked on different things with coach Claude,” Almulla said.
“I’ll just play my normal game for tomorrow’s final round,” he added.
Korean taekwondo master M.S. Kim was alone on 75 with Saudi veteran golfer Mubarak Al-Ghamdi in a tie with another Bahraini Abdul Al Hakim on 76, followed by Dubai-based Saudi standout Khaled Attieh on 77.
Another Saudi, Ali Al-Sahli, who played in the afternoon group with Almula, Mushareck and fellow national team player Noah Alireza, finished on 78 thanks to superb chip shot that found the cup for a birdie on 17.
Until Almulla returned that 72 in gathering darkness Alnaami and Yaqoub’s 73 had stood unchallenged at the top of the leaderboard.
Alnaami,24, was four under and set to go top when he scored two bogeys and a double bogey in the last four holes.
Still Alnaami, a promising Bahraini player knocking on the national team door, had a tidy round with five birdies and an eagle on the par-5 No. 9 when he holed in his lob wedge from 70 yards.
The first round results set up a mouth-watering final group of Almulla, Alnaami, Yaqoub and Mushareck for Friday’s final round, where each has a chance to romp of with the Best Gross top prize.
In the Best Net category, Alnaami, with a 5 handicap, shared the lead after the first round on 68 with lady golfer Anne Bjornstad.
Filipino Pedy Lualhati, with a 12 handicap, was one stroke back on 69 with Al-Ghamdi three strokes further back on 72.
