On Friday, Kim watched as Faisal Salhab, the Kingdom’s most promising golfer, wasted away his chance with a double bogey on the last hole to win the 6th Annual Fuchs Open Golf Championship for the third straight time at Dirab Golf & Country Club on the outskirts of Riyadh.
Kim, who had to hurry back to the city to catch a 1 p.m. appointment for a taekwondo lesson with a student, made par on 18 to close with a 5-over 77 and clinch overall Best Gross honors.
Salhab had a 78 and settled for second place in the First Division (handicap 0-9) on countback over another Saudi player Omar Hariri after they both tied on net 74. The winner in the division was Lebanese Rabie Fares who shot 73 on a sunny day from gross score of 81 and 8 handicap.
The young Salhab looked set to win the Best Gross title with a one-shot lead over Kim going into the par-4 18th and final hole.
But his club selection to play safe off the tee was a gamble that he lost. Salhab used 4-iron instead of driver, leaving him with still 150 yards to the green on his approach shot that went inside a flower bed to the left when he hooked his 8-iron. He got a free drop but then took two more shots to reach the green and two-putted giving Kim a two-shot swing on the hole and victory by one stroke.
Kim, 41, who played in the same group with Salhab, had a good drive, pitched to the front edge of the green from 110 yards, chipped with a putter and made the par putt.
“I three-putted four times. Otherwise, I had a good game and hit it long and straight with my driver,” said Kim of his 38-39 round.
Kim’s 10-year old son, Jalhan, a taekwondo junior blackbelt and beginning golfer, received the trophy on his behalf during the awards ceremony.
Inkyu Park completed a big day for the Koreans, who also swept the first three places in the Ladies Division, after he clinched the overall Best Net crown on 69 from a gross score of 89 and 20 handicap.
Ilha Wurzer claimed the Second Division (10-18) title on countback from Mohammed Benamar with Anjum Mula in third place on 71. Wurzer and Benamar matched cards of 70.
All three winners in the Third Division (19-28) returned 71s but after ties were broken by countback it was David Treatgold in first place, Isao Nagay in second and Jerry Don Carolis in third place.
Mi Jung Yoo, Mi Ra Jung and Miki Park were the first three Ladies Division winners on 65, 66 and 68 in that order.
Salhab and Jung nabbed the men’s and ladies longest drive awards while Moiz Ahmed took the closest to the pin plum.
The raffle draw grand prize of Adams Golf set of irons went to James Kennedy. Akim Hank took home a Ping G15 fairway wood; Danny Naval won an Adams Golf fairway wood and Morgan Mead a Taylor Made putter.
Executives from sponsor Alhamrani Fuchs Petroleum Saudi Arabia Ltd. namely Regional Manager Masood Ali Khan and Adversiting Coordinator T. C. Ishaque and Dirab Golf Committee Chairman Nasser Uddin Siddiqui attended the awards ceremony.
DGCC Golf Manager Bouchaib El Jadiani thanked the tournament sponsor especially Alhamrani Fuchs Deputy General Manager-Marketing Ayman A. Darandary. El Jadiani announced the next tournaments at Dirab are the Xerox Corporate Golf Challenge on March 16 and Pakistan Day Open Golf Tournament on March 23.
