The increasingly hot weather did little to stop the intrepid golfers in the city from teeing it up for the June Monthly Medal golf tournament at Dirab Golf & Country Club last Saturday.

When the dust settled, American Kyle Fegium and Swede Ronny Lidman won the overall Best Gross and overall Best Net titles respectively on a day when junior golfer 14-year old Malaysian Ali Shakeel stole the show as he posted the low net of the day.

Shakeel shot a sparkling 7-under 65 from gross score of 86 and handicap of 21. But as a junior Shakeel was not entitled to the overall Best Net honors that went instead to 14-handicap golfer Lidman who shot 67 from a gross of 81.

Another teenager, 15-year old Filipino Christer Rem Sibug who played off the men’s tees, got a big psychological boost in his preparation for a tournament in the United States when he won the Second Division (10-18 handicap) on 68 from a gross 80 and handicap of 12.

Sibug, son of FGA (Filipino Golf Association) President Resty Sibug, is among Filipino jungolfers seeing action in the 2014 Veritas World Junior AAU Junior Olympic Games Golf Championship at Tustin Golf Course in Tustin, Los Angeles, California on July 22-24. Rem is entered in the Boys 15 Division in the tournament for boys and girls ages 6 through 18, according to Resty who will accompany his son in his US trip hoping to make a good showing in the prestigious international junior golf event.

Fegium played better golf than his 13 handicap indicated when he put together 79, just 7 over on the flat but challenging 6,756 yards layout.

Fegium shot nines of 41-38 in a steady round highlighted by a birdie on the par-5 No. 13.

With a net 66 Fegium could have swept the Best Gross and Best Net honors were it not for a rule of one major prize limit per golfer.

Veteran golfer Lidman, who teed off at No. 11, enjoyed a solid start and his birdie on the par-3 16 cushioned a score of 39 on the back nine. He had a 42 going out.

South African Graham Gunn, one in a line of players with a winning record at Dirab, carded a net 74 (81-7) to become the First Division (0-9) champion with Albert Bester runner-up on 78.

Japanese Ioka Takuya was the Third Division (9-28) winner on 70 (94-24). Orazio Moretti took second place on 71 (94-23) and Arif Hussain third place on 74 (96-22).

American Jose Vigil and Richard Salisbury claimed second and third positions on countback in the Second Division after both players tied on 69.

Winning the Ladies division was Lily Bullard on 76 with Robert Hobbs in second with an 81 and Susan Tessier third with an 85.

The men’s and ladies longest drive awards went to Albert Bester and Susan Tessier. Shaun Temple nailed the closest to the pin plum.

Dirab Golf Committee member Abdullah Masoud presented prizes to the winners at the end of the competition sponsored by Dirab Golf & Country Club and Marriott Riyadh Hotel through GM Muin Serhan.