El Jadiani says there are only about seven Moroccans who play the game but that number could grow and inspire others to pick up a golf club with their thrilling victory on a sunny day Thursday.
The victory earned Morocco the right to have its flag fly at the club premises symbolic of the victory by El Jadiani and Benamar, who both might make a courtesy call on their country’s ambassador in Riyadh.
Sixteen teams from 11 countries started the two-ball better ball match play competition in December last year including three from the Philippines and two each from United States, Lebanon, and Pakistan. South Korea, one of the countries with a large golf community of its own, was unable to enter a team due to its problem in the schedule. But it committed to participate in the 2011 edition of the event in December.
The Philippines represented by Alex Arellano and Edwin Añonuevo won the inaugural staging of the prestigious tournament in 2007. Lebanon was the cham pion in 2008, Japan in 2009 and Morocco in 2010.
On its way to the final Morocco, in the lower half of the bracket, beat the Philippines (Chris Agunos, Tony Lizardo) in the round of 16, India (Taj Rahman, Francis Garcia) in the quarterfinal and the Australian pair of Patrick Kennedy and Steve Troop in the semifinal.
The Kingdom team started with a victory over Lebanon’s Rabie Fares and Marwan Koussa. This was followed by victories over the Philippines’ Richard Gaas and Flore Bouzanne in the quarterfinal and Jean Luc Haas and Atila Soki in the semifinal.
On the eve of the final match, El Jadiani and Fahad engaged each other in a good natured ribbing with the Saudi national team player telling DGCC’s golf manager to not stay up late for he will have a long day out on the course in the morning.
Benamar said he felt he was not in good shape for the match but he played in any case lest he be branded chickening out. Not to worry, Bouchaib was there to carry the fight in the match that started on the back nine.
Not even the presence of Saudi national team coach Ali Balharith and player Faisal Salhab, who both arrived on the fifth hole to support their compatriots, could halt the victory march of El Jadiani-Benamar who went two up, winning the next hole after the Saudi pair failed to get up and down from the bunker and made bogey.
On the par-3 No. 7 Bouchaib’s 9-iron was on the right edge of the green and the ball spun to six feet of the cup but they missed the birdie attempt while Fahad chipped to within three feet to save par after missing the green, as the sides halved the hole and the match reached dormie for El Jadiani and Benamar. Fahad then holed in a 15-footer for birdie on eight to cut the deficit by one.
Making his last drive of the match on 9th, El Jadiani hit a 340-yard smoker. Abdulrahman had a big hook and the ball was lost in the rough, forcing the Saudi duo to return to the tee box. Though it was all over by then Fahad did not concede and played through before the Moroccan tandem could savor its 1-up victory that was capped by a home hole birdie, as El Jadiani followed his drive with an 8-iron to the edge of the green from 172 yards out then two putted from seven feet.
