RIYADH: New Zealander Julian Bennett missed his regular partner, compatriot John Palalagi who went under the knife for his eye ailment, but found Filipino Danny Naval in a teamup that ended victory drought for both players during the 9th Annual Pakistan Day Open Golf Tournament at Dirab Golf & Country Club on Saturday.

Accurate from tee to green, Bennett and Naval shot a net score of 10-under 62 to emerge champions in the two ball Texas Scramble format competition in benign conditions.

“We enjoyed good chemistry as a team. With the way we played golf looks easy. All our drives found the fairway,” said Naval in a phone interview with Arab News.

Starting at hole No. 3, Bennett and Naval, with a team handicap of 7, picked up shots on Nos. 5 and 9 to gain momentum en route to a one-stroke victory over the Filipino tandem of Verlito Quindoza and Dennis Catapang who returned 63 from a gross score of 73 and handicap of 10.

Bennett stuck his approach shot close to the pin and made the putt on the fifth hole while Naval rolled in a 10-footer on the par-5 9th. The winning pair went up and down for another birdie on 12, bogeyed dog-leg right 13 before sealing their fourth birdie of the round on No. 15. They carded nines of 34-35.

Quindoza and Catapang mixed three birdies and three bogeys on the front nine and three birdies on two double bogeys coming home in a 36-37 card.

Hyejin Byoun and Susan Tessier and Aijaz Shah-Sohail Inam returned matching scores of 64 but when their back nine totals were compared at 35-40 to break the tie Byoun and Tessier claimed the third place. Kamal Fareed and Tariq S. Khan rounded out the first five winners on 65.

Long-hitting Saudi national golfer Faisal Salhab was the men’s longest drive award winner with Bridget Kirwan taking home the same prize for the ladies. Samir Fostock took the closest to the pin plum. Also, fabulous items were raffled off.

Tariq Javed, chairman Dirab Golf Committee, and National Bank of Pakistan General Manager Asad Sheikh handed over prizes to the winners.

In addition to National Bank of Pakistan other tournament sponsors are Saudi Orix Leasing Co., American Express and Adma Shamran Trading Co.

Individuals who opened their wallets and contributed to help make the event a success are the following: Khurshid Ahmed, Tariq Javed, Khalid Raja, Ahmed Raja, Irfan Hanif, Tariq Khan, Zafar Khan, Murad Mirza, Shamshad Siddiqui, Arif Hussain, Nadeem Mirza, Tariq Sardar and Dr.Tariq Khan.