The tournament week actually starts on Wednesday with a practice round followed by the 36-hole competition on Thursday and Friday.
On Tuesday, two golfers from Bahrain, part of the 25-strong contingent who will cross the Causeway from Manama for this prestigious event, hit town and played practice round alongside Saudis Ali Balharith and Ali Sahli.
RGC Golf Manager V. T. M. Rafi said the course is in top shape but could be more challenging than usual with tough pin placements.
The legendary Bahraini golfer Nasser Yacoub, who won the Saudi Oger Amateur Golf Championship at Dirab last month after a playoff against compatriot Hamad Mubarak, is coming down to Riyadh and so is the father-and-son tandem of Abdullah Sultan and Sultan Abdullah.
The promising Faisal Salhab, Abdullah Hussain and Abdulrahman Almansour are joining fellow Saudi national team players Balharith and Sahli in the hunt for two berths to the World Final.
In all there will be 120 players to tee it up for the first round of this Stableford format with full handicap allowance on Thursday, with two shotgun starts at 7:15 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. The top 72 players to make the cut continue second round play on Friday with a 7 a.m. shotgun start. Those who missed the cut will be given priority teetimes Friday afternoon after the competition. There will be an awards night on the same day starting 6:30 p.m. at the clubhouse.
David Forster, general manager of First Motor Company, distributor of Volvo cars in the Kingdom, will hit the ceremonial ball at 7:10 a.m. on Thursday.
The champions in Class A (0-6 handicap) and Class B (7-24) will each receive a prize of an all inclusive six-day trip to South Africa and a chance to play in the Volvo Golf Champions on the European Tour.
The Volvo World Golf Challenge qualifying tournaments are being held in 25 countries.
