The 2nd CCOR Canadian Open Golf Tournament attracted another big field of 29 teams and 116 players with a quartet captained by Derek O’ Herlihy winning the championship trophy at the Dirab Golf & Country Club.

O’ Herlihy’s team with an 8 handicap combined for a net score of 56 in the four-person Texas Scramble format competition that was played over two days with 4 teams teeing it up on Thursday and a further 25 on Friday.

With O’ Herlihy on the champion team were Lance Gerow, Hank Akim, and Kapila Nanayakkara.

Playing well as a team, O’Herlihy and teammates shot a gross score of 64 (31-33) in a superb round that contained 9 birdies against only one bogey on 18. Starting on No. 15, the quartet birdied the first two holes and after that bogey on 18 made no mistake the rest of the way making five more birdies on the trot from No. 5. They also birdied two of their last three holes.

Finishing runner-up one stroke back on 57 was the team of Raghe Hassan, Edgar Bulkeley, Jonathan Corrigan and Sreekanth Anantharaman.

Hassan team, also with an 8 handicap, likewise played good golf finishing on 65 (32-33) gross in a round highlighted by four birdies on each side.

South African Graham Gunn, who won the Best Net title the week before this tournament in the Sinoma Open, captained the team that took the third position on 58 after a countback over two other teams.

Gunn’s teammates were Gareth Morris, Jerry McCaabe and Gary Richardson.

In fouth place were Steve Hunter, Anthony Kauenhowen, Susan Tessier and Kishan Rosario, while the foursome of Askari Naqvi, Craig Gordon, Tony McManus and Alan Janvies.

All three teams had identical handicap of 8 and scored a gross 66.

The longest drive award for men and ladies went to Dan McLaughlin and Clare Hunter.

The big number of teams and support from sponsors and the club have so inspired Canadian Community of Riyadh President Lynn Long that she announced the event will take place every year. The inaugural tournament had 30 teams and 120 players.

Long would like to express her thanks to the sponsors as follows: Collier International, Volvo Saudi Arabia, Dirab Golf & Country Club, Air Canada, The Saudi Investment Bank, Lufthansa, Harley Davidson Motorcycles, Royal Air Maroc, American Express Saudi Arabia, Queen’s University, UPS Saudi Arabia, Hotel Al Khozama, Al Faisaliah Hotel, Marriott Riyadh Hotel, Amana Cooperative Insurance Company, Carregour and Al Qalzam Fisheries.

To cap the event a gala awards dinner was held with Canadian Ambassador Thomas MacDonald handing over prizes to the winners. The Canadian Community of Riyadh organized the event in cooperation with the DGCC.