RIYADH: Dirab Golf & Country Club held its first tournament after a three-month summer break, attracting, as usual, a full field for the SGBS (Saudi Golf Business Society) monthly tournament for August last Friday.

Dr. Abbi Oluyadi and Lebanese Rabie Fares emerged the Best Net and Best Gross champions on a sunny windless day where the Filipinos dominated the winners’ list in the individual stroke play competition.

Oluyadi enjoyed a good round of golf, shooting a sparkling net score of 67 from a gross of 92 and 25 handicap. He carded nines of 46-46.

Fares won probably his first big win as a single-digit handicap golfer when he shot the day’s best gross score of 76, beating Filipino Resty Sibug and Morgan Mead by one stroke. Fares played steady golf to shoot nines of 37-39 that included a birdie on the par-4 sixth hole.

Despite missing out on the Best Gross prize Sibug couldn’t have asked for more as his net score of 69 gave him the First Division (0-9 handicap) title and his son, Christer Rem Sibug, won the Junior Division crown by seven shots over Korean Jal Han Kim.

Christer Rem, 13, showed maturity beyond his years when he assembled the day’s best score of 66 from a gross 92 and 26 handicap, while Jal Han returned 73 (95-22).

The elder Sibug has had his handicap down to 8 from 10 in just a few months to underscore his vast improvement, as he highlighted his round of 40-37 with birdies on Nos. 9, 16 and 17. Eric Liquigan, another in a line of single-digit handicap Filipino golfers at 3, took second place on 75 while 1-handicap Mead settled for third on 76.

FGA (Filipino Golf Association) President Howard Laurente, who works at Mobily, scored his breakthrough win at Dirab by clinching the Second Division (10-18) crown after carding a net 69 from a gross of 84 and handicap of 15.

Second place in the division went to 13-handicap Sandy Gupta on 70 with third placer Moiz Ahmed, with an 18 handicap, a stroke further back on 71.

Gary Richardson won the Third Division (19-28) on 68 (95-27). Irfan Hanif and Alan Malawanda took second and third positions on countback after both players tied on 69. Hanif played off 23 handicap and Malawanda 26.

The first three Ladies Division winners were Mi Jung Yoo 77, Elizabeth Kennedy 79 and Mi Ra Jung 85.

The longest drive award for the men’s and ladies division went to Saudi national team standout Faisal Salhab and Jung Yoo, while Filipino Tony Lizardo nabbed the closest to the pin plum.

The raffle draw winners were Ben Bollozos (Srixon metalwood), Bernard Nolan (camel headcover), Joe Smyth, Fares and Filemon Geronimo (golf balls).

DGCC Golf Manager Bouchaib El Jadiani announced at the awards ceremony the Almarai-Saudi National Day Golf Tournament will be held Sept. 28 to be followed by the MENA Golf Tour event, Saudi Oger Amateur Open in October and the SABB Championship in November. Also, the Irish Open Golf Tournament has been set for Oct., according to Richardson of the Dirab Golf Committee.