Attieh at 15 years 11 months and 1 day is the youngest to win the tournament considered as the national championship of Saudi Arabia.
Last year, the tournament needed a playoff to produce a winner. This time it was a gem of a game that everyone witnessed from the talented Atttieh.
Playing with the aplomb of a true champion and a maturity in the game that was well beyond his years, Attieh shot a bogeyless 2-under 70 (35-35) in the second and final round on Friday for a winning two-day total of 144.
Saudi Golf Federation President and Dirab golf course owner Khaled Abunayyan was so elated over Attieh’s win he sent this SMS to Arab News: “This is a proud day for all the Saudi golfers to celebrate the victory of Khaled Attieh. On behalf of the Saudi Golf Federation I would like to thank Prince Sultan bin Fahd and Prince Nawaf bin Faisal for their continued support for the game of golf an all Saudi golfers. I would also like to thank Volvo for their support of the Saudi golfers.”
While the rest of the contenders struggled on a windless sunny day the UAE-based Attieh, a 10th grader at Dubai American Academy who fired a 74 in the first round Thursday, missed his drive just three times – on 17, 18 and 9 - and each time he saved par as he gave a clinical demonstration of his skills to post the biggest win of his young career.
After Attieh’s second birdie on 13 and a three-stroke swing on first round leader Abdullah Sultan, who double bogeyed the hole, the tournament was his to lose. At this point he was five up on Sultan and none was making a back nine charge.
Attieh had a chip-in birdie on the first hole and kept his card clean with clutch par saves including on par-5 No. 9 when he rolled in a seven-footer after his third shot found the bunker. His drive was way left under the trees from where he punched his ball back to the fairway.
With the overall Best Gross victory in the bag Attieh made a dramatic second shot from the right of the fairway that sailed above the trees onto the green on the 17th and just missed his birdie putt.
After the players in his group, Sultan, Othman Almulla and Nasser Yacoub, all holed out on the 18th hole the 5-foot-9 Attieh stood over a six-foot par putt to the right of the green, which he stroked straight into the cup to the cheers of the gallery.
“ I want to thank my father and mother for the support they have given me. Also thanks to Dirab, Saudi Oger and the Saudi players. Hopefully, we can win more tournaments and the Saudi game keeps improving,” said Attieh.
Six strokes back on 150 was Hamad Mubarak who had a second round 75 and settled for the men’s Best Gross first place. In second place on 151 on countback over Sultan (79) was 2009 winner M. S. Kim who shot a 73 Friday. Best Gross fourth place went to Yacoub on 153 (74 -79) while New Zealander Julian Bennett was fifth on 156 (78-78).
Paul Pellizzari emerged the overall Best Net winner in the prestigious two-day competition sponsored by Saudi Oger Ltd. after he shot a 70 Friday for a 141 total.
Prince Khalid Saud Al Faisal, a solid 7 handicap player, was the men’s Best Net champion on 144 (70-74) and was awarded a prize of all expenses paid trip to Bahrain for the Volvo Masters World Final on Jan. 31 to Feb. 1 next year which he generously forfeited in favor of Almulla, who traveled at 11 p. m. Friday to Guangzhou, China for the Asian Games along with fellow Saudi national players Attieh, Fahad Al-Mansour and Noah Alireza and coach Ali Balharith.
Rounding out the men’s Best Net winners were Saudi Bander Al-Ghabin 146, Balharith 147, Vinij Singanont 148 and Al-Mansour 149.
Winning the Best Gross and Best Net Junior were another Saudi Faisal Salhab and Turki Al-Hussain while the Best Gross Ladies and Best Net Ladies titles went to Karen Bridgeford and Sheila McIlroy.
In a boost for the Saudi game 11 out of 18 Saudi players took home a prize.
There were also special prizes awarded at the closing ceremony attended by Saudi Oger Ltd.Corporate Communications Manager Mazen Fayed who distributed the prizes with Fahd M. Abunayyan, deputy GM of Ibrahim Abunayyan Sons Group.
